I Walk Alone
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: A tragedy, a reckoning, a terrible loss. Now, a new school, new friends, and a devastating new power...What awaits Naruto Uzumaki, at Gekkoukan High? MAJOR Persona Crossover. Paring undecided
1. Arrival

A whispery breeze blew through the night, the light of the full moon shining down upon one solitary figure.

The dark sky was clear, but the light was oddly pale, as if in mourning...

He stood atop a hilltop, his cerulean blue eyes, and blond hair, the only visible features, whilst his eyes focused upon the city before him.

His blond hair ruffled in the wind, and ever so briefly, he closed his eyes, reveling in the brief solitary moment, yet shirking from the grief and loneliness that did come with it.

Almost as an afterthought, he reached up to his forehead, as if to find something, but there is nothing there, just his forehead.

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips, along with some profane words, before our silent figure calmed himself, and raised his head, exposing the whisker marks there, as his deep blue eyes stared straight into the light of the moon. "Old habits die hard I guess."

Even from this height, he can see the lights, hear the sounds.

Ah yes, the night life.

A sad sigh doth escape him, as he shakes his head.

"Well, at least this place _seems _friendly."

_'Better than Konoha at least..._

Perhaps a description is in order:

Our mystery man stands around the six foot mark. Slung across his back, is a black leather jacket. Over his ears, blasting rock music at full volume, are a pair of headphones, the Mp3 for which they are attached, stuffed securely in the pockets of his dark blue jeans, the wire of the cord traveling up the blue shirt he wore, embroidered with orange flames, running all over tha fabric.

He wears dark steel toed boots, and the look upon his face, is one of pure misery, and anguish, whilst in his right hand he holds a letter, which upon closer inspection, is revealed to in actuality, be a set of directions.

_Iwatodai dorm, Gekkoukan High-_

This is all that can be made out in the dark.

We now see his left hand, clutching a lavender rose, with only one petal, in a death grip, his palm trembling visibly.

It is his last reminder of her, all that remains, a silent, dying remembrance of good times shared.

All he has left of her.

Muttered words pass his lips. "I'm sorry-

He begins his walk down the hill, and into the city, slinging his jacket over his shoulders once more, donning now, as a cool breeze whips past him.

As he descends, he lets go of the delicate flower, desperately wishing to cling to it, yet knowing that he must leave it, as that chapter in his life is closed, and cannot be revisited.

No sooner does it leave his fingertips, than to be immediately swept up into the wind, carried aloft and far away, caught in its invisible current, beckoned away from him, as if by an unseen hand.

He pauses, to watch it go, then wipes a solitary tear from his eye, as it is carried out of sight, lost unto him, forever more.

"Hinata. I miss you."

Then he looks down to the city, a grim smile upon his face. "We didn't see this coming did we?"

He's talking to himself, yet does not seem to care. "Its my fault I guess. I was too dense, too-

He waits, as if for an answer, but he receives none, other than a gentle breeze blowing past his cheek.

Yet he takes it as a sign, nodding slowly and surely. "I know. I wish I could have spent more time-

He shakes his head, frowning now. "No, I won't dwell on the past, it won't do me any good, right?"

Another breeze, this one encircling him in its cool embrace. "Yeahm I need to remember the good times, not the bad."

But he does not believe in ghosts.

She is dead. That cannot be changed, nor can he undo that which has already been done.

No matter how much he might wish to, he cannot turn back the hands of time.

He laughs, mirthless and alone, as the wind dies. "I'll see ya around...

He begins setting out once more, as the smell of city, cigars, cars, and other scents, ripple through his nose, as he approaches the bridge, to let him into the island city. "But I'll be strong. For the both of us."

He is Uzumaki Naruto, formerley of the Leaf, sent here to start anew, his shattered journey.

This is his story.

And a strange tale it is...


	2. The Encounter

"Here's your ramen!" Chirped the waitress, as she handed the blond a steaming hot bowl of his favorite noodles.

"Thanks." He murmured, as he started in on his meal, savoring its warmth, in the chill of the autumn night.

"Welcome!" Was her enthusiastic reply, glad to have at least _someone _to talk to. After all, being stuck on the closing shift could get pretty lonely sometimes.

Having a late night guest was a welcome change for her.

He had happened upon a ramen shop almost as soon as he disembarked, so here he was, sitting on a stool, leaning upon the counter, and just enjoying a late night meal. _'This is good..._

No one else was present, the restaurant was deserted, and it was nearly midnight now.

He idly noted that she had dark red eyes, short dark hair, clad in they basic uniform of an average waitress, the black maid-like uniform fitting snugly against her well endowed body. _'She seems nice..._

And she was courteous to boot.

Leaning over the counter, she was now looking at him intently, intrigued by the appearance of him, eyeing him up and down as he enjoyed his meal, all the time aware of her eyes upon him, sizing him up.

The waitress did not know _what _to make of this customer.

_'Hmm, he's dressed like a badass, but her sure isn't acting like one..._

She suppressed a giggle as he hungrily devoured it, slurping up the noodles in a rapid, yet neat fashion, until they were gone.

"I've never had a customer this late at night, and I've never seen anyone eat so fast."

She received a small smile from her strange guest, as he swallowed the last of the pasta. "This is pretty good."

She beamed brightly at him. "Its my own special recipe!"

He chuckled. "You're stuck on the closing shift, aren't you?"

She let out a mock sigh. "How'd ya guess?"

He smiled ruefully. "I used to work in a place like this."

He handed her the bowl. "One more. And could you add extra pork?"

She nodded, smiling brightly. "Comin right up!"

As she went about preparing it, a conversation took life between the two perfect strangers.

Scooping the noodles into the pot, she spoke up, whilst stirring them dutifully and diligently.

"So, you live around here?"

Her back was to him, so she missed the sadness marring the handsome features of his face. "No."

Whistling softly, she continued, before coming up with another topic, as she retrieved a clean bowl, and put pork in. "You worked in a ramen shop?"

Turning round briefly, she saw him smile, her question drawing him forth from his gloominess. "Yeah, at a place called Ichiraku."

Moments later, his order was prepared.

Setting it down, before him, she hauled herself atop the counter, so as to sit down, looking at him with confusion. "Ichiraku?"

He nodded, as he started on his second course. "It's way back in the country, so you probably never heard of it."

Alas, she took that as an insult, glaring at him for that. "Hey!"

He blinked, looking up from his meal, mildly confused. "Hmm?"

Oh, she was NOT letting him off that easy!

Jabbing a finger at herself, she shook her head rapidly, a tick mark on her forehead. "Are you calling me a city girl?!"

He blinked, then finally getting it, laughed, shaking his head in mock protest, as he shook with rare, genuine mirth. "No, not at all!"

She calmed a bit at that, blushing lightly, as she made a cut throat action with both hands, in a vain attempt to hide the heat upon her face. "Sorry, I get really touchy about that."

Mildly interested now, he turned on the stool, adjusting himself so he leaned on the counter with his left elbow, looking up at her, as her position on the counter gave the 5"6 girl a better vantage point than he.

"I noticed." Came his calm reply, which brought another blush to the face of the goth girl, who in her flustered state, paused to look at the clock, which was now 11:55.

She pumped a fist into the air, a grin set upon her face as she hopped down from the counter. "Yes! Closing time! Finally!"

Only then did she notice how tall Naruto was, his six foot frame easily dwarfing her, as he looked down at her

She looked away, to hide her blush yet again. _'Wow, he's really something..._

He put some cash down on the table, and picked up his jacket, slinging it over his shoulders once more, as he slipped the leather on. "Well then, I won't keep you any longer."

Getting off the chair, he headed for the exit...

He took five steps before she spoke up. "Hey!"

He paused, looking over his shoulder, hand already on the door. "Eh?"

"Nami."

He blinked, not getting it.

She sighed, exasperated from his density. "Its my name. Nami Yukio."

He shrugged his shoulders, not really caring, as he looked away. "Nice to meet you then."

He began to pull the door handle, the wood creaking open slowly-

"Wait!"

He didn't look back this time, but she could tell that he was losing patience with her. "Yes?"

He could hear hesitation in her voice. "I didn't get your name."

He sighed, shoulders sagging with weariness, his voice betraying it. "I didn't give it."

She sounded sad, and he did not see her hand her head low. "O-Okay then...

Eyes rolled back in his head, he SO did not need this right now!

"Uzumaki Naruto."

She blinked, realizing what he had said, as she raised her head. "Nani?"

Now he did turn around, an annoyed look upon his face. "That's MY name. Happy now?"

Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh!" She gave him a small bow, before approaching him.

He blinked as a piece of paper appeared in his hand, from out of nowhere, handed to him by her. "What's this?"

He looked to her, and was greeted with a dazzling smile from the goth-like girl. "You want a job?"

He looked down at the form, which, upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be just that.

A job application.

Reading it over, his eyebrows shot up at the pay rate. "Holy-

"So, whaddya say?" Chirped Nami, her eyes lit with curiosity.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto pondered this.

He DID need money...

_'I don't like this, but-_

"Sure."

She seemed to light up at that, visibly brightening. "Okay then, come by here tomorrow to meet the manager."

He grunted as he grabbed the handle of the door once more. "Can I go now?"

She nodded, as the hands neared 12:00. "Hai! See you tomorrow!"

Rolling his eyes for the second time, he finally left-

Only to meet an odd sight, as soon as he opened the door. "What the-

The air was now...green, and scattered about haphazardly, were red coffins, standing eerily upright, as the light of a YELLOW moon shown down on him.

It was an eery setting, deadly silent, and it unnerved him greatly.

Looking about, he observed that everything had gone dark, not a single person to be seen, not a sound to be heard.

His eyes narrowed, as that ominous wind blew by, followed by a growling sound. "I don't like the look of this...

A shudder passed through him, as he set off, quickening his pace steadily, as he followed the map to the dorms.

The growling sound grew closer, as he neared Iwatodai, then the door to the dorm-

And by that time, he had broke into a full run, as he felt _something-_

BEHIND HIM!

"RASENGAN!"

Whirling about, he shoved the sphere of multicolored chakra into an unseen foe, hidden in the dark-

And was rewarded with an animal shriek, savage and burbling, piercing through the silent night

Briefly, a hideous mass of dark oozing matter was seen, then lurched back into the dark, a large hole within it, courtesy of the Rasengan.

Shivering, he lunged for the door, and slammed it tightly behind him, breathing heavily, soaked in sweat, as he slid down the door. "What the heck was that?"

He received his answer, and in his current state, nearly freaked out, despite the innocence of the answer.

"That was a Shadow."

"UWAH?!" He yelled, whirling round-

Only to find himself face to face with a young boy, clad in striped blakc and white Pajama's. He had blue eyes, eerily cold, yet curious, his dark blue hair short and ruffled, as he looked at Naruto.

The youth smiled, and raised a hand in greeting. "Hello there. I've been waiting for you."

Naruto blinked. "What?"


	3. Cold Heart

**REVIEW! PLEAAAAASE! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ALL OF YOU THINK!**

The mysterious boy smiled once more, as if the confusion of the 18- year old was understandable. "That's right. I've been waiting for a long time."

Straightening himself up, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes as he focused fully on this person. "Do I know you?"

The unknown boy shook his head slowly. "No, but you will."

He felt a strange presence in the air. suddenly thick and smothering, chilling his spirit. _'Who IS this guy?'_

Stepping aside from the nearby desk, the boy revealed what looked like a logbook, open to a certain page, laying upon it.

Naruto felt himself drawn to it, tantalizingly close, but some basic instinct refused him to move. "Wait a second-

The youth smiled mysteriously once more, sen, gesturing towards the book. "Its okay, just read it."

Before he knew what was happening, the book appeared in his hands. "Huh?"

It refused to turn pages, as he soon found out, only the previous page filled.

All the others were blank.

After reading it over, the only printed page he noticed that it was no mere logbook...

But a contract?

Reading over it, he made sense of what little he could, the black ink old and faded.

_You who wish to change the world..._

_How far wilst thou go, how far for our power..._

_We shall give you one year to prevent the fall..._

Then a line, with SIGN HERE at the end.

Looking up, Naruto laughed bitterly, disdain set upon his face. "The hell is this? I'm supposed to sign my soul over to you?"

The boy was unfazed, calm cool and collected. "No, that's not it at all."

Naruto went on, becoming increasingly agitated, with every second, as he glared at this boy in ever increasing hate. "There is no way in-

He was stopped cold, as his guest chose to speak again.

"You wish to save her, do you not?"

The contract dropped from his hands, clattering to the hardwood floor with an audible thud, whilst his features dropped into shock. "What?"

An innocent smile now. "The one you lost. You miss her, don't you?"

Naruto spat venomous words at him, swinging a backhanded right hook as he did so. "Don't you DARE-

Only for it to pass right through the boy, as if her were nothing but thin air, shimmering through him, as if he were not really there.

His eyes grew wide, as his hand went numb, whilst the boy let out a sad sigh, expression clouding as he did so. "That won't work. It never does."

Blinking once, Naruto shook his head slowly. "Who ARE you?"

The boy picked the contract back up, handing it to Naruto as he did so, that eerie smile in place once more. "A friend."

Recovering himself, Nartuo looked away from those disconcerting blue eyes. "I meant, do you have a name."

The boy blinked, taken aback. "A name?" He looked away to ponder this...

Then as an afterthought: "Oh that's right, I need a name." His brow creased in thought, as he tapped his forehead with one finger, looking up at the blond once more. "You can call me...Pharos."

Foolishly, he now clung to hope." Okay then Pharos...This contract, if I fufill the terms, will she-

Pharos nodded. "That is correct. If you accept the terms, then at the end, you will see her again."

A pen appeared in Naruto's right hand, and he was oh so _tempted _to sign right now. "No shit?"

The prophetic boy nodded. "You will be reunited with the one you love at the end."

Yet, still suspicious he was. This was too good to be true. There had to be a drawback.

"What's the catch?"

Pharos giggled, arms locked behind his back now, whilst he rocked back and forth upon his heels. "There's no catch."

He made an all encompassing gesture. "None at all."

"If I sign this, nothing will happen, right?"

"Nothing bad at least." Chuckled the boy mysteriously. "In time, you will see her again."

He waved a hand in a 'go ahead' gesture. "The choice is yours to make."

The blond snorted as he read over the words once more.

Some choice. He'd KILL to see here again.

Reluctantly, Naruto lowered the pen, and ever so slowly, wrote his name, taking his time...

Once he was done, the contract faded away, to reappear in the small hands of Pharos. "I hope you will abide by the terms."

Naruto grunted, then narrowed his eyes as the book flitted away, as if of its own accord. "If this is a trick-

The next words of the boy sent a chill running down his spine. "Remember, death is a fate we all share. You can't plug your ears, or close your eyes. It comes for us all."

The room grew dark now, the lights dying, as if they had been sucked dry of their energy, inky blackness consuming all.

Naruto was taken aback, looking left then right in his confusion. "The heck-

The boy began to fade into the blackness, his smile the last to go. "Just remember that, and you'll be fine...

Then, the room was bright again, and he was gone.

Naruto heaved a sigh, as his shoulders sagged. "That was weird...

He shook off his pack, and tossed it upon a nearby couch-

Then heard the distinctive sound of a gun loading, and instinct kicked in, as he began to turn-

To find himself facing down the barrel of a pistol. "Who are you?!" Said the one holding it, a girl with brown eyes, brown hair, clad in a pink shirt, black skirt,and black leggings.

The look on her face was one of sheer panic, and as a result, he wisely chose not to move, tone placating, as he remained stone still. "Hey, take it easy!"

Her finger tightened on the trigger-

"Yukari!"

The girl stiffened as a female voice called out, reprimanding her. Her shoulders sagged, and she lowered the gun, expression apologetic, as the lights turned on. "Sorry Senpai."

Behind her, was woman, clad in a simple outfit, consisting of a white tank top, and black sweatpants.

In contrast to the other female, she was in a class all her own.

Her long, slender doy fit snugly against her outfit, smoothly defining every feature, her beautiful facial features creased into a scowl, anger directed at Yukari. "How many times do I have to tell you-

But then, as if just noticing him, her gaze softened.

Her doe brown eyes were now alight with life, and filled with mild amusement, as she saw the sweat dropping Naruto. "So, you're the transfer student."

He nodded. "Yeah."

She sighed, her own slim shoulders drooping slightly. "I apologize for the actions of Yukari-

A withering glare was sent said girl's way, who paled. "She won't do it again."

Naruto shrugged, as he kicked off his shoes. "Lets hope not."

The woman smiled, and it lit up her face with unspeakable radiance, as she extended her hand to him. " I'm Misturu Kirijo. And you are-

He did not smile as he took it, face blank, voice cold and hard as ice itself. "Uzumaki Naruto."

She frowned a bit at this, releasing his hand. "Now, there's no need to be so harsh."

He shrugged nonchalantly, not really caring what he was thought of at this point. "Whatever. Where's my room?"

"On the second floor." This was the mumbled reply from Yukari, who was now looking down at her feet.

"Thanks." He grunted, then, slinging his possessions over his shoulders, headed upstairs, without so much as paying them further notice...

--

Yukari rolled her eyes the moment he was out of sight, gesturing insistently at the spot where he had been mere moments before. "Do we HAVE to put up with him?"

Mitsuru nodded, still smiling softly now. "We don't have much of a choice. He DOES have the potential, and we need new members...

Eyes going wide as saucers, Yukari did a double take. "Huh?! Senpai, don't tell me you're actually _thinking _of-

The senior shook her head once. "I'm not. I've already made up my mind. We need him."

Yukari would not let the matter drop so easily. "But he's so rude!"

Mitsuru shook her head, then started up the stairs after him. "What would you expect of a complete stranger

With that, she too strode up the stairs, her words echoing behind her. " Just give him time. He'll come around eventually."

Yukari groaned as she fell back down upon the nearby couch. "I have a bad feeling about this...

--

Knock. Knock.

"What is it?" Came Naruto's voice from behind the door.

He didn't sound too happy.

The senior took a deep breath before speaking, careful to compose both herself, and her thoughts. "It's me, Mitsuru. I meed to inform you of something. Can I come in?"

A groan was heard, his tone then laced with exasperation. "If you must."

Opening the door, she found him sitting atop his bed, legs crossed, and eyes closed, in a meditative stance, his posessions scattered about the room..

Taken aback, she shook her head in embarassment. "I just wanted to see if you were settled in."

Eyes still closed, he answered her, voice cold and harsh. "As you can see, I am."

She bowed slightly. "My apologies then. School starts at 7:00 sharp"

He opened one eye, and it betrayed nothingness. "Leave." He snapped abruptly. "I'm trying to concentrate."

She did so, closing the door behind her, annoyed at his gruffness. "You needn't be so rude about it.

Naruto sighed as he focused his mind once more, but now he felt bad, and his mind would not calm itself.

With a hiss of annoyance, he uncrossed his legs, and laid back upon the bead, arms crossed behind his head, whilst he stared up at the ceiling. "Great, just great, I'm stuck in this LAME dorm, surrounded by girls, and they won't leave me be...

This was going to be a LONG school term. And what was this 'shadow' that had attacked him? What was up with the coffins, and-

Too many questions to answer.

He sighed, feeling unconsciousness take him into his otherwordly embrace...

He would think about it tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted sleep...


	4. Never Too Late

Naruto opened his eyes, and was greeted by the warm sunlight, flowing inward from his window.

BRIGHT sunlight to be exact.

Hissing in pain, the light nearly blinding him, he leapt up from the bed, and yanked the curtains over the illumination, dimming the light until it was a dim glow, not a searingly bright glare. "Darn sun...

Sunlight did not cheer him.

It reminded him of her.

Reaching for his guitar, he picked it up, and began to strum it, getting into the rhythm, as he let loose a sigh. "

Yet this too brought back a wave of nostalgia. Hinata had _insisted _that he learn to play, even though he himself said he was no good at it. Her words were still fresh in his mind, as was that day...

--

(Flashback, a year ago)

He blinked as Hinata walked up to him. "Hey Hinata!"

The shy teen looked away nervously, holding something behind her back. "H-Hello Naruto-kun," She stammered nervously.

He eyed her jacket curiously. "Hey, aren't you hot in that?"

His voice echoed throughout the empty training field, whilst sweat glistened off his bare muscular chest.

Only he would train on a searingly hot day such as this.

Yet _still, _even though three years had passed, and despite the excessive heat of today, she wore an over sized, thick and heavy jacket.

She turned a deep red, looking down at her feet, hiding her face in her now long hair. "N-No, not at all."

He saw sweat beading down her brow. "Come on Hinata, you don't have to wear that ALL the time."

He looked away as he returned to his push ups, speaking int between breaths. "If you don't take it off, you're probably gonna get heatstroke.

Had it been possible, she would have turned crimson.

He wanted her to take OFF her shirt!

Only THEN did she notice that _he _was shirtless, and the sight of her crush like this, nearly gave the poor thing a nosebleed.

_'Naruto-kun's so..._

She shook her head of the shy perverted thoughts that did dare to enter, of them kissing and such. But oh, how she wanted to...

Finishing his set, he sprang up on his haunches. "Is the zipper stuck or somethin?"

Good lord, how DENSE he was!

She smiled nervously, her face beet red as she nervously shied her face away from him, pulling out a guitar from behind her back, remembering the reason for which she had come here. "F-For you! To r-replace the one you b-broke!"

He hesitantly took it from her, eying the polished wood frame, holding it by its finely crafted handle. "For me?"

She nodded once. "Yes, I spent my entire salary on it."

It looked expensive. its polished surface glistening in the sunlight. **(Just picture your favorite guitar, if that helps)**

He knew not what to say. " Erm...I'm not really good with a-

Suddenly, her personality did a complete 180, much to his surprise.

Her head snapped up, and she shook it vehemently, tone pleadingly insistent. "That's not true! I've seen you, I've _heard _you practicing every-

His eyes went wide, as did hers, as she made a cut-throat action, covering her mouth with both hands.

She had just admitted that she was following him!

For a moment, nothing happened.

She sputtered rapidly. "I-I-I-I-

Then, face red as a ripe tomato, the poor Hyuuga fainted.

Naruto gaped as she just dropped like a sack of potatoes.

What the heck just happened?!

"Hey! Hinata!"

--

He chuckled at the memory. It was thanks to her that he now played guitar.

Far from the contrary now, he had played it every morning, until his skill had perfected itself, steadily through diligence and repetition.

Maybe some music would cheer him forth from his gloomy mood, as nothing else could or would...

--

Yukari raised her fist to knock on the door, but was stopped by the sound of music echoing through the thin wood.

She lowered her hand, and pressing her ear to the door, listened intently...

It was guitar, to be precise. "Huh? He's playing-

Now he was singing.

_This world will never be...  
What I expected...  
And if I don't belong...  
Who would've guessed it..._

She opened the door, ever so quietly-

Discretion was no needed. He was so caught up in the music, that had a bomb gone off next to him, he wouldn't even have heard it.

He was sitting on his bed, legs draped over it and onto the floor, eyes closed as he held his guitar, softly strumming it, his deep masculine voice smoothly reciting the lyrics, in perfect synchronous harmony to the tune.

This song reminded him of one thing, a simple painful fact.

Life sucked. You just had to deal with it. And oh, how that though plagued him, tormented him on a daily basis...

_I will not leave alone...  
Everything that I own...  
To make you feel like...  
It's not too late...  
It's never too late..._

Unbidden, another flashback grabbed him...

--

(Flashback, one month ago)

He burst through her door, and threw a shuriken-

Knocking the knife forth from her hand, which had been raised over her head, ready to rush down and end her life.

Before she could do anything else, he rushed forward, and kicking the into the far corner of her scarce room, he grabbed her by the shoulders. "What the hell are you doing?!"

His expression was one of pure fury.

Yet she showed no reaction, only to hang her head sadly.

He would have none of this!

Shaking her roughly, he forced her to look up at him, meeting the confusion in his eyes. " Why were you-

Suddenly, she snapped, screaming at him, with all her fury. "ITS YOUR FAULT!"

Taken aback, he gaped for a moment, shock wiping out the anger-

Until it roared back in full force. "THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

Tears pooled in her lavender eyes now. "I've been trying (sob) so hard (sob), so hard, and you (sob) never even-

Her body began to shake now, trembling whilst she hiccuped and started to sob. "Noticed me...

Realization dawned, and he shook her gently. "Hinata, I did notice-

But now anger was set upon _her _face, as she slapped his hands away. "LIAR! You only paid attention to Sakura! You never even LOOKED at me!" She shrieked this with all her pent up grief and sorrow, feeling utterly alone and desolate, having witnessed Sakura's confession of her love to him.

She had taken him away from her!

And he LET her!

So distraught was she, that in a moment of loss, she did the one thing she thought she would NEVER do.

She hurt him.

Arching her neck back, he never saw it coming, so caught up was he in shock of her violent reaction. _'What did I do..._

Then she lunged forward, smashing her cranium against his, in a brutal headbutt.

Stars exploded before his vision, ringing through his head like a dull bell.

He blinked, pain numbed from further shock. "That hurt...

He mumbled, shocked that one so gentle would ever resort to such brutality. He had only seen her get angry once, and that was WAY back during the chunin exams...

The impact was now drawing blood from his forehead, and trickling into his eyes, staining the red with crimson.

The red of anger fading from her vision, Hinata realized what she had done. She immediately paled, as she witnessed the stunned look he bore. "Naruto-kun I-

It became too much for her.

She lost all feeling in her legs, and falling from his grasp, collapses upon the floor, curling her knees up against her chest, and crying loudly into them...

Only to feel his arms encircle her. "I'm sorry." Was his dull murmur.

She was too weak to resist, and just melted into then, crying with all her might, in a most piteous wail, that would break the heart of any man...

(End Flashback)

--

He was pouring his heart and soul into the song now, belting out the lyrics perfectly. Yukari made a cut-throat action of her own, gasping softly, as she witnessed the tears beginning to stream down his face, pouring forth from his close eyes

"_Even if I say  
It'll be alright  
Still I hear you say  
You want to end your life  
Now and again we try to  
Just stay alive  
Baby we'll turn it all around  
'Cause it's not too late  
It's never too late_

Anothe memory roared upon him...

--

(Flashback A week ago)

He stood before her, and nearly screamed in grief, as he watched her lowered into the coffin, so pale, so quiet.

He didn't give a eulogy, but instead gave it to Sasuke. " Make a transformation and read this for me."

The Uchiha eyed his friend piteously, as he clasped the blond upon the shoulder. "Hey, you gonna be okay? You look terrible."

Naruto shook his head, as he watched the coffin begin its ceremonial procession around the leaf. "No, I'm not gonna be okay."

Sasuke sighed in compassion, as he release. "Listen, it wasn't your fault. You two weren't given enough details on the target-

Abruptly Naruto whirled about, slapping the hand of his friend away, murderous intent etched into every feature. "You think I don't know that?!"

He stabbed a finger in the direction of her coffin, rain beginning to fail now, staining their black funeral clothes wet with moisture. "But I was the Squad leader... I... could have done, _should _have done more...

He threw his head back, and tasted the rain upon his tongue, eyes wide open, not closed, tone sounding terribly lost and stricken, as the water poured down from the heavens. "Can't you hear it?"

Sasuke blinked, cocking his head to one side. "Hear what?"

Naruto shook slightly as he spoke now, hands clenching into fists at his sides. Sasuke was unable to tell whether it was the rain running down his face now-

Or tears.

"She's crying. She's lonely."

The Uchiha cast a look towards the fading coffin, nearly out of sight now. Looking back to Naruto, he was about to say something-

Until he noticed the veins in the eyes of his friend, bulging out in an all too familiar pattern. "Your surgery...

Naruto laughed bitterly. "She was dying, so she wanted to help me...

He touched his blue eyes, the veins of the Byakugan fading as he did so. "Now at least, she can see the world through me . And I can seen the world in ways never before."

Sasuke snorted. "Cryptic as ever."

Naruto smiled, but it was hollow, there was no light in his eyes. "That's me."

--

_No one will ever see  
This side reflected  
And if there's something wrong  
Who would've guessed it?  
And I am left alone  
Everything that I own  
To make you feel like  
It's not too late  
It's never too late_

--

(Flashback three days ago)

"BULLSHIT!" Spat Naruto, as he stood before the council. "What the hell is this?!"

Danzou, head of Root, sneered evilly, whilst the other council members just looked on piteously. "You heard me. The council's decision was unanimous. You cannot have the eyes of Hinata Hyuuga, nor can you have the rank of Jonin as you are believed to be directly responsible-

Naruto spat on the floor. "Don't you DARE say it."

Tsunade cast a worried look down at the enraged nin, who looked like he was about to go Kyuubi on everyone, red chakra bubbling forth from the seal in his stomach. "Naruto, calm down

Danzou ignored him. "In the part of your squad teammate."

For a moment, nothing happened, then Naruto's voice echoed in the council chamber. "I warned you."

Abruptly, he appeared before him, a thin cane in his hand. His face was twisted with rage. "But actually, I'm glad you didn't shut up."

He let loose a foul wave of red chakra, blasting the other council members from their seats, preventing his impudent victim from receiving any aide

Thrusting it forward, the canes wooden handle slid away, revealing a long thin blade-

"Guards!" Shouted Danzou-

Only for Naruto to whip around, and blast a wave of red the platform behind him-

Turning the hidden soldiers to ash, and wiping them off the face of this earth, as their bodies crumbled inward and died.

He looked back to Danzou, three tails of red swirling behind him. "You scum, you never learn."

Which was now embedded in the neck of the scarred man, his visible good eye going wide with shock/horror.

Naruto bared his fangs in hate and malice. "You have some nerve-

He ground the blade in deeply, pushing until it exploded out of Danzou's neck, in an explosion of bloody glory. "Talking shit on me like that! I sweated blood and tears for this village, and THIS is what I get?!"

Danzou was unable to speak, any more than a bloodly gurgle...

--

_Even if I say  
"It'll be alright"  
Still I hear you say  
You want to end your life  
Now and again we try to  
Just stay Alive  
Baby we'll turn it all around  
'Cause it's not too late  
It is never too late_

--

He stood before the village gates, Tsunade behind him, arms crossed over her ample chest. "Thanks."

"For what?" Was his dull lifeless murmur, as he read the letter sent to him.

He didn't smile as she ruffled his hair. "For everything. You really were a great help to the village."

Doubt clouded her face now. "Are you sure about this?"

He laughed aloud, cold, harsh and bitter. "I was, wasn't I?"

She n"You'll be missed."

He nodded. "I know. But-

He turned round, a strange glint in his eyes. "Before I go, can I have one last favor?"

His fellow blond arched an eyebrow, confusion glinting in her hazel eyes. "Favor?"

He grunted. "Its a simple request."

She shrugged. "I suppose so, as long as it isn't anything perverted-MMPH!"

Her eyes went impossibly wide, as he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her forward an instant later, then the next thing she knew, his lips covered hers.

For only a moment.

Then he broke away, a trace of a smile upon his face. "Always wanted to try that, but since I'm leaving, I figured now would be the best time to try that."

Her face was impossibly red, as she stammered a response. "Wha-Wha-what was that for?!"

A grim laugh as he turned his back unto her. "Something to remember the old me by."

She was confused once more. "The old you?"

--

T_he world we knew  
Won't come back  
The time we've lost  
Can't get back  
The life we had  
Won't be us again_

_This world will never be  
What I expected  
And if I don't belong..._

Yukari found herself wiping away tears from her eyes, his song speaking to her very soul.

She could FEEL his sorrow within it.

--

He shot her a sidelong look, Byakugan activated, and tearing over, as he fought back the tears. "Didn't you hear? Uzumaki Naruto is dead. He died the moment Hinata Hyuuga breathed her last."

With that cryptic comment, he undid the headband on his head, and threw it to her.

Then he headed towards the gates...

--

He knew he was crying now, but he didn't care, he just kept singing, intent on finishing the song before he broke down fully.

_Even if I say  
"It'll be alright"  
Still I hear you say  
You want to end your life  
Now and again we try  
To just stay alive  
Baby we'll turn it all around..._

_  
'Cause it's not too late  
It's never too late  
Maybe we'll turn it all around  
'Cause it's not too late  
It's never too late (It's never too late)  
It's not too late  
It's never too late..._

Opening his eyes, he FINALLY noticed Yukari. Her eyes went wide, as did his.

Words were laced with shock as he spoke, hands dropping from the guitar, as he sat up. "How long have you been standing there...

Taken aback, she said the first thing that came to her mind, shrinking back from his shocked stare. "Um... its time for school-

WHAM!

His fist impacted in the nearby wall, just inches from her face, and denting the plaster inward a good three inches, as his guitar fell back upon the bed.

He was glaring at her with fierce intensity now, baring his sharp fangs in his uncontrolled anger. "Answer me."

"A-About five minutes."

He brought his face close to hers, eyes searching her soul, with the piercing intensity of the Byakugan. "Don't you DARE tell anyone about this."

His tone was cold, chilling to the very depths of her soul. "G-Got it." She stammered nervously.

He pulled his fist back, the scratched already beginning to heal. "Good, then we understand each other." He made a 'go ahead' gesture with both hands, as he slung his pack overshoulder. "Well, lets go then."

She eyed his outfit. "Um... You need a uniform."

He snorted, disdain visible in every line of his form. "And do I care?"

The answer was obvious. He did not.

Groaning, she stalked past him. "Fine, lets just go already, we're gonna be late for the monorail."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Monorail? What the heck is that?"

Yukari shot him a confused look as she ran down the stairs. "Jeez, you really ARE a country hick."

Naruto's angry shout was heard behind, the sounds of his footsteps storming after her.

"HEY! TAKE THAT BACK!"

Mitsuru sighed as she got off a nearby chair. "What did you do Yukari?"

The girl blushed at the implication. "N-Nothing!"

The senior sighed, as Naruto sprang of the banister, and landed with a crash, firmly upon his feet. "Well, lets go then, we're going to be late...


	5. Reminisce

Naruto gaped as he saw the island, staring intently outward from one of the many windows on the monorail "Holy-

Mituru chuckled as she held onto a nearby rail. "Impressive, isn't it?"

He nodded mutely.

Yukari rolled her eyes at this. "Oh brother. NOW he decides to be respectful...

--

The shock had worn off by the time he stood at the main gates, the high school standing proudly before him

He watched as students rushed into the large, pearly white building, and felt a small smile tug at his lips, briefly breaking through his icy facade. "They're late...

Yukari nodded, then in one smooth step, moved in front of him. "Well, this is it! Welcome to Gekkoukan High!"

He sweatdropped at her sudden perkiness. "I didn't need the introduction."

Yukari glared at him, hands balling into fists at her side. "Why you-

Only then did they notice that he had his guitar slung of his back still.

"Erm... Uzumaki...

This one from Mitsuru.

"Hmm?" He blinked.

"Your guitar." She pointed to said musical instrument. "I think you brought it with you by accident."

Naruto laughed, a rare mirthful one, as he patted his tool. "Well, you guys have a music club don't ya?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes."

He shrugged his shoulders as he strolled on. "Well then, there ya go."

But before he took more than ten steps, abruptly whirl about on his heel, he did spin about suddenly, that serious look upon his face once more. "I won't be back till late."

"Oh?" Inquired Mitsuru, arching a delicate eyebrow.

"Yeah," Was his gruff response. "I have work."

"Where?"

Inquired Yukari, just now overcoming her initial anger.

He snorted, anger clouding his features, at her persistence. "At the ramen shop Hagakure, if ya must know."

A tick mark appeared on her face. "Damn, you are so-so-

"So what?" He spat back, leaning in close to glare at her with his Byakugan, the blue veined eyes eerily unnerving to her. "Do you think I really CARE what you think?"

His harsh rebuke left her speechless.

Without a word, he pulled away. "You had better shut that trap of yours."

THAT brought her back to reality. "What?!"

He sighed, and ran a hand over his face, enjoying the angry shriek he received from her. "You and I, Yuka-tan-

Her face turned red for a moment, with a blush-

"We are NOT gonna get along."

With a flourish of a spin, he turned round and stalked into the school, ignoring the many whispers he heard, of this 'hot new guy'

As if he cared...

--

(Outside)

The senior shrugged, ignoring the angry look sent her way by Yukari. "Just give him time...

--

Chihiro was having a terrible day.

First she had woken up late, and that was only the _start _of everything.

Her alarm clock had broke, and her mom was already at work, so no one was there to wake her.

She had forgotten to wash her uniform, and as a result, it was wrinkled and disheveled

She had been in such a hurry to get ready, that she forgot to eat breakfast.

She was starving now, as made well known by her growling stomach.

_Then_ she had missed the monorail, and had been forced to wait for the next, which didn't come until half and hour later.

End result, she was exhausted.

But she STILL had to stay after school today, for the student council, for which she was the treasurer.

NOW, she was being harassed, by a bunch of seniors, whom she was trying her best to evade, but try as she might, the boys did not know when to take a hint, and would not cease their harassment of her, nor the three small comics clutched protectively against her bosom.

And she was in the... well, darker part of school, as it was still early in the morn.

But right now, she wanted to just crawl in a ditch and die, never to wake up.

This was a regular occurrence for the poor girl. "Shy people are always picked on, and you have to be bold to get what you want in life."This was the infamous quote of her mother, who just didn't seem to take the hint that her daughter would never be that bold. It just wasn't in her nature.

"Come on Chihiro!" Jeered one senior, a tall nondescript lad, who sported a spiky black hairstyle, and soulless black eyes. The other three seniors with him, are not deemed worthy of description.

But here is a description of our shy little student:

She too sported a summer uniform. Wide rimmed glasses were set upon her face, and long brown hair, wavy and straight cascaded down over her shoulders. Her height falls around 5"8, and even so, all the other seniors surrounding her, tower over HER at 5"11.

But over her chest, clutched protectively against her bosom, were a set of comic books, that which had cost her a months worth of allowance, but in her eyes, it was worth it. She had only bought them just last night, and now these stupid boys were trying to take them!

He reached for her arm, only for her to slap his hand away, with more force than she had intended to. Immediately she began to walk the other way, but no sooner had she taken any more than five steps, when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Kesuike-san, leave me alone!"

Angry, she shrugged it off, and tried to keep going.

The boy glared at her, and the next thing she knew, he had hit her so hard, that she had tumbled down onto hitting it face-first, loosening her grip on her books, which flew forth from her amrs, along with the three comics she cherished so much.

Pain exploded in her head as she hit the cold, hard, unforgiving tile, and tears sprang to her eyes, as the books and papers scattered this way and that...

Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Dimly, she watched the harsh student reach down to pick up the manga which she valued so dearly.

He eyed them over once, before looking down at her, sneering disdain within his eyes and expression "Well what do we have here?"

He made a motion as if to rip it, beginning to tug sharply. "Hmm, I wonder, how valuable these are to you?'

Her eyes widened in horror, but before she could get up, his friends pounced upon her, holding her down, preventing her from moving whatsoever.

"Sorry Chihiro." Sneered one sarcastically, as he pushed her down.

"You need to be taught a lesson." Hissed another.

"Yeah, no one refuses to go out with Keisuke." Spat the third.

Keisuke was grinning evilly now, malevolence plastered all over his face, as the binding on the books began to buckle from his sharp tugging. "Oh, it looks like its gonna-

Finally, they gave.

RIIIIIIIIP!

Chihiro let out a cry of sadness as she watched Keisuke rip the three Manga books in half, then chuck them on the ground. Mock horror appeared on his face. "Oops, guess I don't know my own strength."

Tears began to pool in her eyes. "Why did you do that? Why won't you leave me alone?"

She stiffened as he knelt down, and grabbed her by the face, her body still held fast by his friends. "This never would have happened if you'd just gone out on a date with me."

He smirked down at her. "So, have you changed your mind yet?"

She shook her head. "NO!"

She went pale as a ghost, as he tilted her head up, anger etched into his face. "Wrong answer. Guess I'll have to force you."

He wouldn't! "No!"

His lips neared hers. "Yes."

However, a certain someone would have none of this. "TEME!"

He stiffened, then a guitar crashed down on his head, stars shooting past his eyes from the impact.

WHAM!

Naruto stood over him, hate in his eyes, brandishing his guitar like a weapon. "You are SO dead if you don't let go of her."

Keisuke stood up, glaring right back. "Hey, it looks like we've got ourselves a little-OOF!

Air wheezeed out of him, as Naruto's fist found ints mark, grinding into his stomach, and knocking the air clean out of him, doubling him over, setting him up for a brutal elbow to the neck, that which knocked him out cold.

He grinned evilly at the three seniors who still held Chihiro fast. "Care to try your luck boys?"

Apparently, they did, all three of them releasing her, to charge forward in mad dash. "You'll pay for that!"

He made no effort to move as they charged in. "I highly doubt that I'll be paying you anything."

The first one leapt forward, fist raised in a right hook-

Only for Naruto to simply step in, and brutally headbutt him, knocking him out in one smooth movement, as the eyes of the unfortunate victim rolled back in his head. "Idiot."

The other were delt with in a similar manner, for once they were close enough, he grabbed the two roughly by the heads, and smacked em into one another, Koing them as well, the two dropping to the floor like wet noodles.

He sighed, breathing heavily, from his brief exertion. "Jerks.

Then, he knelt before Chihiro, picking her glases off the floor as he did so, then ever so gently, putting them glasses on her face, concern etched into his own. "Are you allright?"

She nodded, but then her gaze fell upon her torn comics, scattered about the deserted hall and she let out a sniffle. "I-he-they-

Naruto looked over his shoulder, just now noticing the torn manga. "Oh that? Gimme a sec."

She weakly sat up, hands holding down her skirt, as he went about gathering the pages, until he had finally retrieved the all.

He held them in his hands, covering them-

Then, began moving them incredibly fast he did, in intricate hand seals all his own. _'Binding no jutsu.'_

Opened them, revealing three, flawlessly made comics, as if they had never been torn at all

Needless to say, she was in shock. He handed them back to her, a trace of a smile upon his face. "There, good as new."

She took them instantly awe all over her innocent face, as they were in perfect condition once more. "How did you-

He chuckled as he picked up his guitar. "That's a secret. Lemme know if those guys go after ya again."

She nodded. "H-Hai."

And with that, he calmly strode down the hall. "Sorry, I gotta go. I'm gonna be late for class."

"W-Wait!"

He turned round, and his eyes shot up as he watched Chihiro pick herslef up and come running after him. "Something wrong?"

She looked away before speaking, and in the split second of time, that brief moment, in the darkly lit hallway, he saw Hinata in her place.

_'WHA?!'_

She was almost EXACTLY like her.

But then the moment passed, and Chihiro mustered up the courage to speak, missing the sad look upon his face. "D-Do you know which room y-you're in?"

He pulled a sheet of paper forth from his pocket. "Lemme see, Room 2-F."

She blushed a bit at that, suddenly interested in the floor. "T-That's my homeroom to. I c-could show you h-ow to get there...

Then she looked up again, nervousness all over her face. "B-But its okay if you don't!"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

He let her stand beside him now, allowing her to lead the way, and as they entered the more crowded halls, the poor girl was beet red, as all could see.

She was too shy to say it, but it was obvious to anyone else, and whispers, rumors began to circulate.

She had a crush on the new guy.

This was going to be intresting...


	6. Uzumaki Concert: Tears Don't Fall

The door slid open with a small click, and Naruto immediately felt all eyes on him, mostly that of the girls, practically the entire class bustling with whispers already.

Mostly from the girls, of course.

"Hey look, Chihiro's already trying to get with the new guy!"

"That's not fair, I wanted him!"

"Sh! He'll hear you!"

The brunette was deep crimson now, and looking down at the floor, to weak to protest aloud to these rumors. "I-I-I-

Perhaps she did not want to?

--

_'Oh boy... _Naruto groaned inwardly, as he saw little pink hearts in the eyes of nearly all the girls. _'Now I know how Sasuke felt._

Oh yes, this was gonna be a LOOOONG year.

The teacher arched an eyebrow at him as Chihiro quickly scooted forward to take her seat, hiding the blush upon her face, and eager to get away from the piercing glares of her classmates.

Naruto watched and observed this with a sad sigh. _'Poor thing..._

The teacher's words shook him forth from his reverie.

"...And you are...

He gave no answer, just standing there-

Then she slapped her forehead, realization dawning upon her face. "Ah, you must be the transfer student."

He nodded. "That'd be me."

Looking down at a checklist-

"Uzumaki Naruto, from the Land of Fire.

He grimaced at that, but still nodded, HATING the fact that all eyes were locked upon him once more.

_'Why do they always look at me like that? Jeez..._

"Yup."

She waved for him to approach the desk, a pleasant smile upon her face."Well then Naruto, why don't you introduce yourself?"

He grimaced, but stepped forward anyways. "Fine."

The blond paused for a moment as he stood before the class, searching for words to say. "Erm...

Finally, he found some, an evil smile upon his face as he spoke.

"Yo, the name's Uzumaki. You mess with me, and I will-

Ms Toruimi abruptly stood up from her desk. "Okay, that'll do. You can take that empty seat by Chihiro."

The shy girl turned red. "B-But that seats t-taken."

A glare from the teacher silenced her. "No buts. You have to be present to be part of this class, and since he's not here, his seat is therefore up for grabs."

She nodded meekly. "Hai."

Meanwhile, Naruto just smirked at the teacher's anxiety. "As you wish."

Whistling softly, hands in his pockets, he strode over to the empty seat, and smirking, sat himself down.

No more than five seconds later, as expected, Chihiro spoke up. "Na-naruto-san?"

"What?" He murmured, looking straigh ahead, focused on the board.

"Why do you carry a guitar with you?"

His response was quick and snappy, anger visibly contorting his facial features, whilst hs crossed and interlaced his fingers before his face. "Why do you want to know?"

She looked away, disheartened from his harsh reply. "Gomen-

Immediately, he rebuked himself, his brief surge of unexplained anger.

_'What am I DOING? She didn't deserve that-_

But he cut her off, sighing as he relaxed. "No, _I'M _the one who should be saying sorry."

She blinked, puzzled now. "Nani?"

He glanced at her, from the corner of his eyes, blue briefly locking with brown. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

A light blush lit her face, before she looked away. "A-Arigato."

Then the lecture began, and no more was said...

--

Uzumaki Naruto rolled his eyes as the bell rang for the class, shoulders sagging with relief. "Finally, time for lunch."

Hoisting himself up out of his seat, he pushed off his desk, springing up from his chair-

Only to be blocked off by several girls, all of them sporting little pink hearts over their heads.

"Erm... Hello?" Annoyance was on his face, he was not in the mood for adoring fangirls, five overall.

They didn't move, so he did, shoving several of them roughly to one side. "Move it."

He had made it to the sliding door, right hand upon it, ready to shove it open, before one of them spoke.

"Hey, can you play us a song?

He looked over his shoulder, momentarily halted. "Say what?"

"Yeah!" Piped up another, "Yukari-chan said you're pretty good with-

Anger clouded his face. "So, Takeba told you?"

"Mm-hm!" Chirped a third, as she tossed her long black hair over her shoulders, eagerness plastered all over her face.

An evil grin formed over his, unseen to them, as he was no longer looking at them.

_'I warned you Takeba. Now, I think I'm gonna have some fun.'_

"Pleaaaaaaaase Naruto-san?" Whined the fifth, and by that time he was laughing, softly, unto himself, a wicked plan already formed in his head.

They waited eagerly for his answer, and in response, he unslung his guitar, unholstering it from the strap, pretending to shrug nonchalantly. "Ah, what the heck? I'll do it."

Their eyes went wide with surprise/happiness. "REALLY?!"

He nodded, strumming the guitar experimentally, receiving a low hum from it, his fingers brushing the strings. "How long is lunch?"

"About thirty minutes!" They all cried simultaneously, eager to hear his music.

Thought clouded his face. _'That should be long enough..._

He pointed to oldest looking one, a nondescript girl with short blond hair. "Okay then, I want you girls to meet me in the courtyard, and bring everyone, got it?"

They nodded as one. "Hai!"

He stepped out into the hall now, and for a moment, stared the fivesome in the eyes. "Don't keep me waiting."

Then he was gone, simply walking out the door.

Once he was no longer there, each one let out a happy sigh before going to gather as many students as possible.

"Ah, Naruto-san...

--

He was already heading for the courtyard, guitar in hand, and he could feel the looks boring into his back, those of curiosity, disdain, and annoyance.

But he didn't care, as he could already hear the five girls spreading his message about the school.

Time for some fun...

"Naruto-san?"

He turned around, to see Chihiro before him-

Nervously tenting her fingers.

EXACTLY as Hinata had once done.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. _'H-Holy, if she had blue hair and pale eyes-_

He got the image of the eyeless Hinata, who had given her eyes unto him, and THAT promptly derailed his train of thought.

"What?"

She looked towards his guitar. "Are you going to play?"

He nodded, and for some reason, one even HE didn't know, gave her a thumbs up. "Yeah, I'm gonna play in the courtyard."

He then turns his back to her, and strides down the hall, calling out to her still.

"You should come."

She looked away, nervous. "What was that look in his eyes...

She looked down at her feet now. "He seemed so sad...

That made up her mind. "Okay then, I WILL go see him play."

Swiftly she ran down the hall after him...

--

(Later)

Yukari had no idea WHAT was going on, as she watched the students pour out of the school, all heading out for the courtyard. "What is going on here?"

Sht quickly strode down the hall, but before she could reach the main doors, she was halted.

"Takeba."

The voice was cold and chilling, yet eerily familiar.

Gulping nervously, she turned round-

And found herself looking RIGHT into Naruto's blue Byakugan eyes.

"EEK!" She cried, startled at his close proximity, backing away from his piercing glare.

And he did NOT look happy.

Especially with her.

"You told everyone." His voice was a whisper-

As he suddenly grabbed her by the face, holding her tightly in a vice-like grip. "I told you not to-

SLAP!

He didn't even flinch, as her left hand came in and popped him hard on the face.

"Not to tell."

"I d-didn't mean too!" She sputtered defensively, his soulless eyes boring into her very being.

He grinned, and it was a malevolent one. "Then I hope you enjoy my little, demonstration."

She turned red, a blush lighting her face as his lips neared hers-

Then abruptly, she was grabbed by him ina fierce kiss, that which made her eyes go wide, in shock/surprise.

It only, lasted for only a second, but left her trembling as he pulled away.

So shaken was she, that the junior couldn't even form a coherent sentence, her hands traveling up to her lips, in a cuthroat action, as a shudder passed through her. "H-Huh?! Wha-wha-what did you do th-that f-for?!"

And he was STILL grinning, that evil smile that she had come to loathe. "Heh, think about that."

Then, much to her surprise, he made some strange hand motions, and disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving her to sink to her knees in numb shock, her face a blank slate, just staring down at the floor.

But a moment later, realization dawned, filling her face with anger.

So THAT was it.

He was going to take every opportunity to embarrass, humiliate, and confuse her.

And all for some strange unknown reason.

Angry, she slapped her palms against the ground, ignoring the pain that did flash through them.

Good Kami, she HATED this guy!

Though yet again, she touched her lips, hand still moving unsteadily , wracked with trembling. "B-But then why do I feel so warm...

--

Everyone started cheering the moment Naruto appeared in the courtyard, his entrance signalled by a large plume of black smoke, and when it cleared, much to their surprise-

There were Four of him.

Whispers and mumbles of shock ran through the student assembly.

"What?!"

"He has brothers?!"

But from the girls, it sounded more like this.

"He's SO hot!"

"I know, I wanna go out with him!"

"Hey, I saw him first!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

One the original, held a guitar, and stood in the middle, the other two, also guitarists, stood to the left and right, and they too, like the original, held a guitar, and in front of the three, were microphones.

The last one, was directly behind the real thing, and unlike the others, this one was a girl **(Sexy no Jutsu, DUH!)**she looked like a female version of Naruto, and was sitting at a drum set, tapping the drums softly, yet steadily.

They stood atop a stage, and not to mention behind them, were two incredibly large speakers, which took up the northen and southernmost corners of the stage

All of them wore a nasty grin.

The real Naruto pumped a fist into the air, before the large crowd that had assembled.

"Hello Gekkoukan High!"

That was enough to shake them out of their stupor, and he heard the distinctive voices of the five girls, starting a cheer.

"HELLO!"

He shook his head, pretending to cup a hand to his ear. "Come on girls, I can't hear ya!"

Now, more than half the ensemble cheered, the female half that is.

Which of course left the guys.

Annoyed, the female version of him piped up now, standing up from her seat, and leaning forward over her set, _deliberately _giving them a view of her ample chest, as she wore VERY low cut school girl uniform **(Kinda like Rangiku's. ehehehe.)**

Several of the more perverted seniors collapses right then and there, blood leaking from their noses, eyes blessed from the sight the had just received.

They could die now, and they would be happy.

Whilst several perverted giggles escaped the other males, those who did not faint outright, were all trying to stifle a nose bleed. Now when SHE spoke, she got a reaction." Now come on boys, lets make some noise!"

She stood up now, and raised her arms high over head, her ample bossom bouncing as she jumped up and down, shouting the entire time. "LEMME HEAR YA!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Their combined roar, mixed with that of the girls, shook the stage, and all four blondes smirked.

NOW they were ready.

Grabbing the mike in both hands, Naruto leaned forward, and looked out over everyone. "Allright everybody, here's a little somethin for all of ya!"

The crowd roared loudly in response, impossibly loud. "This is for anyone who's never given up on love, or wants to give up."

He pumped a fist into the air. "And I have one word for ya, those who are ready to throw in the towel."

He let the words hang in the air, the tension building, before her finished.

"Don't."

"AWWWWWWWWWW!" Came the combined roar, several girls swooning right then and there

The roar grew louder, more fierce as he released the mike, to jump in the air-

**(Watch it live to watch how this sequence goes. Its: Tears don't fall: by Bullet for my valentine. Same thing goes for the stage)**

And the moment he came down, landing perfectly on his feet, the song took life.

_Let's go!!_

_With blood shot eyes I watch you sleeping  
The warmth I feel beside me is slowly fading  
Would she hear me if I called her name?  
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?_

--

By now, the crowd was clapping along with the beat, and they were all starting to cheer his name, several of them headbanging to the music, much like the four blondes were.

"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!"

--

Taking a deep breath, he shouted out the lyrics now, along with his two look alikes, screaming them at the top of his lungs, eyes closed as he did so, his fingers moving rapidly over the strings, effortlessly precise with precision, letting his two cloned echo him in perfect harmony.

_There's always something different going wrong  
The path I walk is in the wrong direction  
There's always someone hanging on  
Can anybody help me make things better?_

_--_

The Principal frowned as he heard the loud music, the loud reverberations of it, practically knocking him off his seat. Holding on for dear life, he frantically looked around, wondering what the devil was causing this."What on earth is all this ruckus?"

Parting the window curtain, he peered down into the courtyard, and his eyes went wide as he saw the min-concert taking part there, the crowd now consisting of the entire student body.

He even saw some teachers down there! "What is the meaning of this?! I authorized no such presentation!"

Immediately, he began to dial security..

--

_Your tears don't fall they crash around me,  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home  
Your tears don't fall they crash around me,  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home_

_--_

Randomly, he pointed to one girl in the crowd, and laughed aloud as she pointed to herself, then back to him, face red as a bright cherry tomato. "That's right, get on up here!"

She made her way through the crowd towards him...

--

At this point, they all stopped singing, and each went into a solo of his her own, picking up the pace significantly.

As the girl climbed up onto the stage, he stepped forward, and extended a hand to her.

Taking it, she was hoisted up, a nervous look upon her face, whilst she nervously tucked a strand of greenish hair away from her eyes.

Once again, he laughed aloud courtesy of her embarrassment. "No need to panic, just do your own thing."

"O-Okay, she stammered.

"What's ya name?"

She looked down at the ground. "F-Fuuka Yamagishi

Jeez, were ALL the girls here this shy?

He waved for everyone to stop. "Hey, everybody, lets give Fuuka-san a little encouragement!"

Nothing, just silence.

Again he shouted, this time along with his three clones. "LETS HEAR IT!"

Slowly at first, but with every increasing bass and pitch, a cheer started:

Fuuka...Fuuka...

He waved his hands forward. "LOUDER!"

And grow louder it did, at his command.

FUUKA! FUUKA! FUUKA!

He gave her a smile. "There we go-

A mike appeared in his hand, which he gave to her, tossing it easily, a mere flick of his wrist.

"Care to join in?"

She nodded timidly, voice weak and meek as she caught it, nervously looking out at the crowd instead. "I-I guess so...

He nodded. "GOOD! HERE WE GO!"

Then the music was on:

_The moments died, I hear no screamin,  
The visions left inside me are slowly fading  
Would she hear me if I called her name?  
Would she hold me if she knew my shame?_

_--_

He was looking at her the entire time, as if to say: "Come on. Sing."

He never took his eyes off her, and at last, softly at first, she joined in, but her soft voice ended up soon turning into a loud rocker wail as she went on, just the two of them singing now.

_There's always something different going wrong  
The path I walk is in the wrong direction  
There's always someone hanging on  
Can anybody help me make things better?!_

_--_

The crowd was clapping loudly now, and cheering for the two of them.

He gave her a brief wink, and she felt her face flush.

"Almost done."

Then he grabbed the mike again, and went on, singing as one person.

--

_Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home  
Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home_

_--_

Whipping his hand over the strings, he went into a sharp solo, heedless pf the fact that even the teachers were there now, listening to the music, clapping and banging their heads with reckless abandon.

Taking a deep breath, he kicked the speed up several notches, his fingers a blur of red movement, as chakra began to leak from the seal, and onto his fingers, then arms, granting them inhuman speed, and adding an eery after-affect, whilst his clones sang for him.

Then, at the midway point, he and Fuuka exchanged a look, and sucking in a deep breath, screamed at the top of their lungs.

OH!... YEAH!!

--

_This battered room I've seen before  
The broken bones they heal no more, no more  
With my last breath I'm choking  
Will this ever end I'm hoping  
My world is over one more time!_

_--_

Mitsuru didn't know whether to be impressed, or peeved, as she bore witness to Naruto's band. On the one hand, he was _EXCEPTIONALLY _talented, yet here he was interfering with school hours.

After a moment of thinking, she shrugged. "Its not my problem, after all, I haven't been elected Student Council President yet.

In other words, she could just enjoy this, without feeling any obligation to stop this chaos.

She felt a smile tug on her lips, as she watched some unknown girl get up on the stage.

"My, my, he's quite the charmer...

--

Now Fuuka shouted, alone, at the top of her longs, an impressive wail that notched up her social status big time, amongst her fellow students.

After all, if this badass rocker had chosen her to come up on stage...

Then she couldn't be THAT bad...

_LET'S GO!_

Guitar solo

_Would she hear me if I called her name?  
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?_

_There's always something different going wrong  
The path I walk is in the wrong direction  
There's always someone hanging on  
Can anybody help me make things better?_

_--_

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto observed security coming.

Not that he cared of course.

_Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home  
Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come..._

_Better!!_

_--_

Having grown familiar with the lyrics, everyone was singing now.

_Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home  
Your tears don't fall they crash around me  
Her concious calls the guilty to come home!_

_--_

With one last guitar strum, he finished, and the crowd let out a loud roar.

Moments later, the bell rang.

Lunch was over.

Grabbing the mike, he shouted into it: "Okay everybody, time for class!"

They all groaned, and began to stream back into school

Smoke began to envelop him and everyone, "Peace out!"

When it cleared, he was gone.

That was enough fun for today...

--

"Hmm?"

He blinked as Chihiro offered him a large club sandwhich. "What for?"

She blushed, shiying her face away once more. "W-Well, you didn't e-eat during lunch, s-so-

She put it on his desk, and looked away to hide the heat in her face. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude"

He shook his head as he picked it up. "I already told ya, there's no need to be sorry."

"O-Okay." She stammered, watching him pick it up from the corner of her eyes.

He took a big bite out of it, and sighed happily as his stomach's growling, formerly loud and incessant, finally ceased.

"This is pretty good...

Again, the heat found her face red. "A-Arigato...


	7. Peeping Tom's

He finished the sandwiche just before Ms. Toruimi entered the class room, gulping down the last of it, just as the door slid open, and she stepped in.

_'Phew! That was close!'_

And the first thing she did-

Was look directly at Naruto, motioning for him to come to the front of the class as she did so. "Uzumaki, come here."

Despite the fact that he feared no teachers, the blond paled, SERIOUSLY not wanting to get expelled from this place.

After all, he was actually starting to have fun here...

Reluctantly, he sat up, and slowly made his way to her desk, dreading what might happen.

For a moment, he just stood there, waiting for a response, as she stared him down.

Finally, after several tense moments, he lost what little cool he had, a tick mark appearing on his head. _'Forget this!'_

Stamping his right foot down heavily upon the floor, breaking her concentration."You wanna know what?"

The teacher blinked, confused. "What?"

The blond crossed his arms in bold defiance. " I really don't care anymore. Expel me if ya want."

The girls were practically swooning now.

"He's SO cool!"

"I wanna marry him...

"Hey! Hey! Don't get ahead of yourself!"

"But he's so dreamy...

Ignoring the fangirl static, he forged onward, gesturing expansively as he threw his arms out in exasperation. " This school runs and revolves around all these stupid regulations, and I'm telling ya now, I ain't gonna conform to this-

Ms.Toruimi clapped her hands, breaking his focus. "Very good."

Confusion appeared upon his face, his focus lost now. "Eh?"

Shaking her head, she smiled ruefully. "This school needed something...something different."

Sighing, she looked out the window, and down to the now empty courtyard. "Its been awhile since we have any chaos around here...

Realization began to dawn upon his face. "Wait a second. I'm NOT in trouble?"

She shook her head. "Far from it. In case you didn't notice, the _entire _school came out to witness your little 'show'."

He nodded firmly. "Kinda noticed that. But what's your point here?"

The teacher shook her head as she stood up. "Class, we're done for today."

Everyone let out an enthusiastic cheer, and several enthusiastic shouts were heard from the guys:

"Dude, you rock!

"Hey, can I get a date with your sister?"

"Allright! Now I can go to sleep!"

And other such comments.

As they began to file out, he stood his ground, and waited for his answer. "So are you saying that you're actually gonna tolerate me?"

Toruimi nodded as she picked up her supplies. "For now perhaps."

She threw on her coat, and smiled. "Thanks."

He still didn't get it. "Eh? You already thanked me."

She blushed and looked away. "Oh... its nothing...

Then she strolled out, leaving him alone in the room, with the exception of the few students who were still packing up.

He shrugged as he strolled back to his desk to get his own books. "Erm...okay then."

As he did so, he took notice of a fellow student, who seemed to restraining laughter.

He wore a blue baseball cap, and beneath it, a short, shaven like haircut could be seen. He wore the traditional school unifrom, but seemed...different somehow.

Once said student noticed Naruto, he finally let loose, and laughed aloud, clapping Naruto heartily on the back. "Man, I've NEVER seen Toruimi back down like that!"

Naruto shrugged as he slipped on his leather jacket. "Pfft. I don't really care."

The teen did a double take. "Hey, aren't you that transfer student...

He paused, as if trying to remember something. "Naruto... right? The one who played that badass song?"

The blond nodded as he shouldered his guitar. "That sounds like me."

Intrigued now, he eyed the unknown teen curiously. "And you are...

At this the junior perked up, grinning brightly, jabbing a thumb towards himself as he did so. "The name's Junpei! Junpei Iori!"

Naruto smirked as he extended his hand, which was firmly grabbed by his new acquaintance. "Well then Junpei, nice ta meet ya."

"Same here!" Smirked the confident teen as he warmly returned the greeting.

Releasing it, he grinned brightly, flashing his pearly whites in a smile. "Dude, that was awesome, the chicks are practically _hanging _on ya!"

Naruto frowned, his good mood sobering immediately at this. "I've noticed."

A question mark appeared over Junpei's head. "Dude, something wrong?"

Naruto ran a hand through his face, a cold look in his eyes, as he faced his new friend. "Look, if you must know-

Junpei nodded enthusiastically. " Oh yeah! I GOTTA know now!" He gave Naruto an affectionate slap on the shoulder now. "That's what friends are for!"

He chuckled. _'Friends huh?' _

"Well, its because-

But as fate would have it, his watch beeped at that moment, and the two looked at it in confusion-

Until Naruto realized where he had to be. _'Darn, I'm gonna be late..._

"Sorry, I gotta go to work."

Junpei shrugged. "That's cool. See ya later dude."

By that time, Naruto was already out the door...

--

Nami sighed as her fingernails clacked against the counter impatiently.

"Where IS he...

Several minutes later, she heard a loud skid, then looked up as the door opened, smiling as she saw Naruto. "Oh, there you are."

He chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry I'm late."

Nami shook her head. "As a matter of fact, you're early."

A tick mark appeared on his forehead. "WHAT?!"

She giggled as customers began to trickle in. "Kidding, kidding."

He caught an apron that was thrown his way, and once it was he saw the wide grin on her face. "You ready?"

He chuckled as he tied it on. "I was BORN ready."

A customer ordered then, and the grin set upon the short girl's face turned wiry. "Lets see about that, shall we?"

--

(hours later)

Nami let out a heavy sigh as she plopped down on the counter. "Man, what a rush."

Naruto grinned as he wiped sweat off his brow. "Pfft. That was nothing."

"Miss, can I have the house special?" Asked another customer, as did several others, all who sported...

Camera bags under their tables?

Nami hopped off the counter and ran to go get their orders. "Coming right up!"

Naruto arched an eyebrow, and glancing quickly around to make sure-

"Byakugan." He whispered, and immediately the colors of the world faded to grey, as all before him was laid bare, the trademark veins of Hinata's bloodline limit, given unto him, appearing in mere moments.

He idly noted Nami, her short dark hair still seen as black in his eyes, but instead of her unfiorm, he instead saw her clad in her underwear, the scanty fabric barely fitting against, yet snugly, against her well endowed body.

He felt a light blush heat his face.

This Kekai Genkai wasn't perfected yet, and he had to be careful who he looked at.

Thank KAMI Jiraiya didn't have this bloodline limit...

But his focus was truly set upon the bags...

Or rather, what was contained within them.

Narrowing his eyes, he felt his vision dilate, along with is pupils as, much like the zoom feature of a camera, he panned in upon the bags, his all seeing eyes piercing through the fabric-

Revealing cameras, through the unzipped fabric of the zippers, the lenses poking out.

At first he didn't get it, but then he noticed something.

The bags were scooted out just outside the the table-

AND they were pointing up.

That could only mean one thing, and it was verified by the fact that one of them was blushing, as he kept Nami talking.

Now that he noticed, these guys all seemed to be wearing the same white leather jacket. with a strange red symbol etched into the back of it. THAT, and their rough physical appearances could only mean one thing.

They were from a gang.

Those two did not mesh well with him. He hated perverts, but he hated gangs more.

_'PERVERTS!' _He hissed to himself, dispelling his bloodline limit, as he sprang up from his seat, ignoring the fact that a customer had just asked him for an order.

These punks were toast.

--

Nami blinked, confused as Naruto strode up behind her, his shadow covering her, making her aware of his presence. "Hmm? Naruto-san, what's wrong."

"Oh shit." Murmurred one, and that convinced the blond that these men were guilty of peeping.

He raised a finger, pointing down to the bags, looking right at the bikers/gang members, easily seeing through their cheap sunglasses, to the fear there.

Yet an innocent look was on his face, betraying nothing. "Mind if I take a look?"

Before they could protest, he had grabbed the nearest one, and dropped it down upon the table.

The zipper was already undone, and he began to reach into the bag. "Hmm, now I wonder, what's in here...

"H-Hey!" Sputtered one, a stoud bald man, who bore a large X tatoo upon his forehead.

He rose to his fee, grabbing for the bag as he did so. "You can't mess with our-

He was promptly decked by Naruto, malice all over his face, scowling darkly, his right hook brutally powerful. "Shaddup."

The unfortunate man stumbled back, falling against his fellows, tangling them up and preventing them from rising.

Nami paled. "Naruto what are you-

Her eyes widened as he pulled a camera out of the bag, the RECORDING light, still clearly flashing. He looked away as he held it out to her. "Here, watch the video."

Several of the men tried to rise, but a death Byakugan glare rooted them in place, as did the murderous intent held within Naruto's tone. "Move and I won't be so nice."

He heard Nami gasp. "W-WHAT IS THIS?!"

His face dissolved into a mask of seriousness. "I think you know."

She looked from him, to the bikers, beet red with anger, and embarrassment. "I-I-I-

She turned to Naruto, then the man behind the counter. "Fagashi-san, I'm going on break."

The man nodded, his tone kind, as he had witnessed the entire thing. "Go ahead Nami-chan. You've earned it."

She promplty ran outside.

The minute she was gone, Naruto turned to the bikers, an evil glint in his eyes, cracking his knuckles already. "And I think you fools know what YOU'VE earned."

They all gulped nervously, and the bald man raised a hand. "Erm.. Check please?"

Fagashi shook his head. "Now why do you want to leave?" He cast a meaningful look towards Naruto as he said the next part. "You haven't had your second helping yet."

All of them paled.

They knew what was coming "W-Were not hungry...

Naruto grinned evilly as the other patrons took the hint and left. "Well then, I'll just have to beat your food outta you!"

He made a familair seal. "Taju Kage Bunshin (Multi shadow clone jutsu)

Ten shadow clones appeared behind him, each one sporting that anime evil glint, and dark aura. "Hope you're hungry!"

Their cries of pain were loud long into the night.

--

(Five minutes later)

Naruto smirked triumphantly, clapping his hands together to wipe off imaginary dirt. "Teme's"

Fagashi clapped his hands as well, but in gratitude. "Well done, well done indeed." Naruto laughed aloud. "Aw shucks, it was nothing."

Abruptly, the manager's pleased look changed to one of seriousness, his warm brown eyes reflecting it. "Shouldn't you be going after her?"

Naruto blinked. Sometimes he was clueless as ever. "Going after who?"

Fagashi face-faulted, which caused Naruto to sweat-drop.

But he was up in an instant, an annoyed look set upon his face. "Baka! I meant, you should chase after Nami-chan!"

Naruto smacked himself over the head. "Ack! I totally forgot!"

He turned to go, but halted. "Hey, will you be okay closing this place up?"

The old man waved him off, in a 'shoo' motion. "I'll be fine kiddo. Now skedaddle before she gets away."

The blond smirked, and in a rare moment, he was like his old self, playfully snapping off a mock salute.

"I'll bring her back! Believe it!"

The he was gone disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

The manager laughed aloud, running a hand through is greying thinning hairline. "My, he's a strange one that Naruto...

Then he realized something, as his eyes ran over the damaged interior of his restaurant. "ARGH! I have to clean up the mess he made!"

"Perhaps I can help?" Inquired a mysterious voice.

The man spun round, eyes going wide as he beheld a figure, standing in the doorway, wreathed in shadow. "You...


	8. Heartbreak

His boots padded heavily against the pavement as he ran, shoving aside all passerby as he bloted through the station.

"Sorry!"

"Look out!"

"Comin through!"

He shouted all these and more, as he ran through the crowd, pushing all aside from his path.

Where was she?

At last, he reached the Iwatodai district, and a triumphant smile did spread over his face as he saw her, the long black locks of her hair easily recognizable.

He had found her.

--

Nami sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, sad as any teen can be. "What was I thinking...

"OI! Nami-chan!"

She whirled round as she heard her name called, an angry look upon her face.

And it did not soften as she saw Naruto.

The blonde was slightly out of breath, and currently rested his hands on his knees as he sucked in air, laughing jovially as he did so, relief upon is face. "Man, I can't believe you got here already."

The look in her eyes hardened. "Yes you can."

He blinked, confusion replacing it. "What?"

Looking away now, she seemed to be talking to herself. "Its just as bad as Boss-san told me it would be. I was stupid and naive to expect anything different."

She gave him a dejected look, before looking away once more. "Go ahead and say it. I was stupid to think that I'd get any respect working in a ramen shop."

She felt Naruto's hand on her shoulder, the concern/confusion more than evident in his voice . "What are you-

Furious, she slapped it off, and he winced at the look in her eyes. "Of course, I can always count on YOU to beat up anyone who tries to look up my skirt?!"

Anger hardened in his eyes. "Duh. That's just wrong."

She abruptly spat in his face, and he calmly wiped it off, despite the fact that she was obviously angry now. "And that makes it RIGHT that you beat the snot out of them?!"

Angry now, he stamped his foot upon the pavement, leaving a small crack there, drawing anxious looks form nearby passengers for the train.

"What the HELL is wrong with you?!"

Tears began to brim in her crimson eyes now, as she shrieked at him, leaning forward as she did so, emphasizing her point. "If I'm dum enough to believe that i won't be used for sexual fantasies, then thats my problem!"

"No its not!" Was his forceful shout, the sharp tone making her wince, looking away yet again.

"Of course, its MY fault for being so desperate to talk to you." Came her murmured whisper.

His eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips, eyes filled with disdain, for both her, and himself. "Sounding so stupid and weak, pathetic, and scared...

He blinked in surprise.

WHERE was all this coming from?

"I bet you couldn't get down here fast enough."

Naruto was at a loss for words, rendered speechless by her own.

Until he finally got the meaning of them.

WACK!

Nami's eyes went wide as a wide hand mark was left upon her right cheek, red and pusling, shock etched into her face.

His EYES were red, now that she noticed, his right hand lowering now.

Anger was there. "Baka! Of course I was worried about-

But the fact that he had actuallly HURT her, was too much.

SMACK!

A red handprint appeared on HIS face, and he did not even so much as whimper.

"B.S!" She shrieked, voice reaching her highest pitch, and by now, a crowd had gathered to watch their little 'exchange'. "

You couldn't wait to come downhere and 'save' me!"

"You think i set this up?!"

How DARE she imply that!

"You think it'll make things better?! You'd think it'd earn you points by beating up a bunch of gang bangers?!"

She twirled to go now, back to him. "You just made it worse!"

And her next words, they carved a deep gash in his heart, what little good was left within him. "You probably even thought your little 'heroics' would get you laid tonight!"

Time stopped.

At last, given a moment to think, she realized the gravity of her words, and something else.

He did not deserve her unkindness

She halted in the train, and ever so slowly, misery crept upon her face, the tears finally spilling down-

As she looked back to him.

And saw the sadness carved into his own.

His tone was melancholy as he looked away, turning his back to her. "I didn't deserve that."

His eyes met hers once more, and only now did she see how much he had been hurt by her cold words. "No one deserves that, Nami. Not even me."

Then, before she do anything, SAY anything-

The doors between them closed, cutting them off from one another, much like her words had.

As the train sped away, she clutched the rail tightly, sobbing to herself, lost in the misery that she had created, of her own free will...


	9. Shadowy Payback! Ambush!

**Listen, there's gonna be a BRIEF Bleach crossover, namely just in one thing. The fact that Naruto has Hozikimaru as his weapon. That is it. No other Bleach crossovers in this fic.**

Angry, Naruto stormed off in the opposite direction, hands in pockets, watch slowly ticking down to midnight.

A dejected look was set upon his face, his head hung low. "Man, did she HAVE to say that?"

Then thoughts of regret ran through his head, slowing his angry pace. "She's upset...

_'Port Island Station.'_

He blinked as a small voice, distinctly feminine, ran through his head. "Eh?"

He looked to the left and right, but found no one anywhere near him.

Again it spoke.

_'Port Island Station, that's where the monorail gets off, then it goes to Iwatodai.'_

He blinked again, confusion written all over his face. "Who are you?"

This, spoke aloud, earned him several strange looks from the late night passerby.

Anxiously, he hurried onwards, tucking his jacket tightly about him as he strode onward.

The voice did not answer him.

--

Rounding a corner, he checked his watch. 11:30

He searched his consciousness for whatever had spoken to him, but he found nothing.

It wasn't the Kyuubi, of that much he could be certain.

The two entities had merged long ago, and were now one.

True he missed the old fox, but his power more than made up for the loss.

He scratched his head as he leaned on a nearby brick wall, wracking his brain for any possible ideas

"Then who was it-

Then abruptly, his phone rang, startling him.

Cursing, and very annoyed, he jammed his hand in pocket, and pulled out the small device, pressing it to his ear. "What?"

It was Yukari. "Mitsuru-Senpai said you need to come back, curfew's at-

Click.

He hung up on her, shutting his phone off a moment later, and rolling his eyes as it was done.

"Slut."

--

In the lounge, Mitsuru smiled as she heard Yukari's angry shriek, followed by a loud crash of something being thrown, multiple curses following suit seconds later. "I HAAAAAAAAAAAATE him!"

"Those two seem to be getting along well."

A young man sitting next to her restrained a chuckle. "More like cats and dogs..."

Mitsuru giggled a bit. "Perhaps Akihiko...perhaps...

Her fellow senior shrugged. "Anyways, are you CERTAIN he has the potential?"

Sighing, Mitsuru put her book down. "Any reason your second guessing us?"

He shook his head as he rose to his feet. "Its not that all-

SMASH!

He winced as he heard Yukari break something. "Its just that I'm afraid those two are gonna end up killing each other...

She turned to the next page in her book, and let the matter slip her mind, as the junior's loud curses faded to the background...

"Not my problem...

--

Nami was openly crying as she burst into her room, makeup dark and stained all over her face.

She dimly heard the surprised shout of her roommate, and ignored it. "Hey, what happened to-

"SHUT UP! I don't wanna talk about it!"

The first thing she did, after discarding her jacket, was to reach up to her black hair-

And pull the WIG off, letting her long blond hair fall long and loose over her shoulder's, as the fake hair was discarded.

She was sobbing all the while, her movements jerky and erratic, as she unsteadily moved about the room

Secondly, grabbing a nearby cup, she squeezed her eye's-

Until the red contacts came out, revealing her eyes to be a rich teal color.

Only then, did she throw herself down on the bed, and sob openly into the pillow.

"Why did I beat up on him like that?!"

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what happened, Kimiko?"

She removed her head from her pillow, an angry look on her face, long black streaks running down her face now from her ruined makeup. "SH! Be quiet Senna! I don't want anyone else coming after me, with more camera's-

Then she remembered the incident Naruto had discovered, and she only cried all the harder. "They-I-and h-he-

Senna's steel grey eyes of her friend hardened. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

Kimiko shook her head. "N-No, but Naruto-

The brunnette arched a dark eyebrow. "Naruto? You mean that hot new guy you have a-

Distraught though she was, Kimiko turned a bright red, "UWAH?! " Before burying her head in the pillow once more. "SHUT UP! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

--

Naruto looked up at the sign, and let out a tired sigh, having just emerged from a certain store.

Closing his eyes, he focused, and was rewarded with the scent of ramen, distinctly that of Nami, in a westward direction.

"Okay, that way...

--

"What did he do?" Coaxed the senior, trying her best to draw her friend forth from her shell.

"He beat up some perverts." Was her mumble, into the pillow.

That didn't make any sense.

"So? You should be grateful he did that."

Pulling herself out of the pillow once more, Kimiko's eyes were red with tears, from her constant crying. "He just made things worse! Now the Nyx gang's going to-

"Nyx gang? Those losers?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes, as she flicked a strand of hair off her face. "They're all bark and no bite."

"B-But...

Peering closley at her shaken friend, a shaken sigh was loosed, as it looked like Kimiko was going to burst into tears again.

"What a-about Naruto?"

"I don't know, what about him?" Came the even reply of Senna.

The dam burst, and Kimiko started crying again. "I was so mean to him! When I left, he looked like he was going to cry!"

Tap.

She blinked as Senna lightly patted her on the head, fingers running loosley through the long blond locks there.

Kindness was set upon her face, as she smiled lightly. "Well then lil missy, that's gonna be your problem, making ammends with your crush-

"NANI?!" Shrieked the short girl, TERRIFIED of facing him, now that she had practically ripped out his heart and stomped it to death.

He probably hated her guts now...

A reproachful glare cut her short of her self pity. "But I DID tell you that getting a job their would be...unsavory. Like or not, thanks to your career, you're pretty well known now."

"S-So is Naruto-kun! She sputtered defensively, only realizing the mistake to late, and clasping her hands over her mouth, tried in vain to take them back.

They were also useless in hiding her cherry red complexion now.

Senna grinned evilly. "AHA! I knew you had a thing for him!"

Looking away, she restrained the urge to faint, settling for nervously wringing her hands together instead. "S-So what...

"Maybe you should join his band?"

--

At last, the smell led him to a dorm. "Found it

He sighed, hesitant to just knock on the door.

He had just been focused on GETTING here, and right now...

Well, he didn't really know what to say.

He was unaware that it was nearly-

Midnight.

But he became all too aware, as suddenly a green glow lit the area.

He whipped around on the spot-

And found himself face to face with the creature he had smitten the other night-

But this time, he paled as he saw-

Nami would have to wait.

That it had brought backup. "Oh you have GOT to be kidding me...

Namely a thousand black oozing blobs, some with masks, and some without, just hovered before him, their red beady eyes all locked on him, their hands groping at the air.

Slowly, he straigthened his arms out, and with a flex of a each hand, a small staff slid from each-

Alas, they took that moment to attack.

Quickly, he snapped the pole shafts together, intoning the two words of power for his weapon. "Extend, Hozikmaru!"

A pointed edge shot out from the northernmost end, and he twirled the long staff about, bringing it around in a defensive swipe, clearing away two shadows, as its pointed tip cut them through.

And the moment he did-

They were on him, all of them leaping forward before he could get his weapon around again...


	10. Decision Time

Mitsuru's eyes widened as her persona picked it up. "Shadows!"

Immediately, Akhiko leapt up, eyes betraying his anxiety. "You found one?!"

The redhead nodded, but then her eyes widened with horror, her tone betraying it. "Not just one...

Exasperated, the boxer stamped his foot. "Well then, how many?!"

Her words chilled to the core. "Thousands."

Yukari ran down the stairs. "Where's Naruto?!"

Closing her eyes, Mitsuru concentrated-

Then her amber eyes snapped open, and she bolted out of the lounge.

"We have to hurry, he's fighting them!"

--

Too many.

There were too many!

No sooner did he cut down ten, than one hundred more sprang up in their place!

Naruto took a few steps back and jumped down from the building. He saw a few coffins leaning against walls.

What the heck was this?!

His reprieve was brief, as the shadows leapt up after him. Sweat had started forming on his brow.

"You guys just don't give up do ya?"

In response, they sprang forward.

Quickly, he spun Houzikimaru before him, chanting out a few words, then at the very end: "KATON!"

No sooner had he said this, than a column of black flames descended from the sky.

It roared down upon the creatures, hissing fire and ember, engulfing the unlucky beasts in the blaze, and burning them to ash-

Only for more to leap over the blaze and gave pursuit.

The blond cursed as he ducked under one, a samurai looking creature who utilized a sword, then thrusting his spear forward, pierced the beast through, and tossed it upon its fellows, leaving them in a heap as he fled.

He turned and ran again and again, pausing only to slow his relentless pursuers

He sprinted across the roof tower in hopes of finding some way of escape, as he now saw, that there was no WAY, he was going.

However, he was stopped by a large...thing. It was large. It had eight long legs bent making it look like a spider, it had four arms holding katanas and it was wearing a similiar blue mask.

He sneered angrily at it. "So you must be the boss here."

It made no move.

Naruto ran forward and gave a battle cry. He tried to hit the creture only to be blocked repeatedly by the katanas.

He scowled, and spun his spear, deflecting rapid strikes sent his way, his weapon a tan blur as he scowled at the beast.

It just wouldn't let up!

One appeared to hit him-

Only for him to 'poof' away in a cloud of smoke-

Reappearing above the beast, spear thrust down.

He laughed aloud as a wet squelching sound was heard, his spear digging in deep.

He grinned, believing the battle to be won.

"Now I got-

He was struck by a katana, poofing away yet again, another Kawamari.

This went on for several minutes, as he desperately tried to get in and finish it off.

Naruto was getting tired quickly and was suffering chakra exhaustion from using kawarimi constantly, as well as several clones and the occasional Katon jutsu.

Whirling away from one slash, Naruto spun his spear rapidly before him. "Fire style: Flames of Armageddon!"

Now, his spear glowed a bright red, and when he swung it, he cut through one of the offending Katana's-

Only for the other three roughly jab into his back.

He spat out blood, and lurched forward, conciousness fading already as they dug in deep. "Son of a-

WHOOSH!

He heard a loud crack, then the voice again.

_'Don't worry! I'll help this time!'_

"Huh?"

Suddenly sharp pain exploded in his head, causing him to drop Houzikimaru to hold his cranium in pain.

CRACK!

Within the confines of his mind, a word echoed, and he said it, the word feeling alien to his lips.

_'Go ahead! Say it!'_

He did, ever so slowly. "Per-so-na."

The voice sounded happy, pain suddenly intensifying a hundred fold in his head. _'Yay!'_

He felt a small breeze rush past him, then heard a small ripping sound, followed by a loud shriek.

Then abruptly, the pain in his back left him, as if the katana's were pulled out.

The fire in his mind died, replaced with an odd peacfulness, the thoughts of others racing in his head.

He felt his wounds close, and the first thing he did was grab his faithful spear off the ground.

Then looking up, he observed a most strange sight.

"Eh?"

There, darting around the spider like beast, was a small orange streak of light, darting in and out, impossibly fast, cutting the beast wherever it touched.

It paused for a moment, then seemed to gather energy about itself, forming a small orange sphere, from which a small figure could be seen.

"MEGIDO!" Shrieked the familair voice, and abruptly, the mask of the shaodw splintered, as black/white light consumed it.

As a result, its body simply melted, falling to the ground in a puddle of ooze.

Then, as if just noticing him, the light suddenly danced before him, happy thoughts echoing forth from it.

_'You're safe! I was really worried!'_

He waved his hands about himself. "Hey, what or WHO the heck are you?!"

Abruptly, the small streak of orange halted, allowing him to have a good look at her. "I'm you silly!"

It was a...fairy?

For that was the best way to describe the one before him.

She was about maybe a foot tall, and looked to be a young girl, around 17. She wore a long sleeved white shirt, that extended down past her rear, halting several inches above her knees.

Small tan butterfly wings held her aloft, the gossamer thin fabric beating rapidly as she kept herself aloft.

She sported a slender build, her figure lean and slim. Long black hair streamed over her shoulders, and doe brown eyes glittered happily at him.

Oh, and did I neglect to mention that she had red skin?

She smiled happily at his confused look. "EH?! Whaddya mean you're me?!"

She took it all in stride. "I'm a persona, kinda like your inner self!"

He scratched his head idly. "Inner self...

She yawned, and flitted over to his shoulder. "Can I rest for a bit? Using Megido takes alot outta me."

Before he could protest, she slowed the pace of her wings, allowing herself to gently glide down and rest there.

"Hey hey!" He protested, but was cut off as she gave a sleepy yawn, scooting herself up to rest in the crook of his neck.

A light blush lit his face. "Erm...

Her eyes, which had begun to drift shut, snapped open now. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"

He looked down at her, confusion lit all over his face.

She scratched the back of her head sheepishly as she leaned up, out of the comfortable position in which she had rested only moments before. "My name's Hua-po. I'm from the Lover's Arcana."

"Arcana?"

She flashed him the peace sign, closing her eyes as she did so. "But you can call me Ha-chan!"

He shook his head slowly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have a LOT of questions."

"And we'd be happy to answer them." Came a voice, speaking out of the dark.

Startled, Naruto whirled about, spear held at the ready, Hua springing off his shoulder, her small wings buzzing angrily.

"Who's there?!" He hissed as he waited for the speaker to emerge.

And emerge he did from the blackness, a pale, athletic looking man.

He wore no shirt, and sported twin tattoos upon his shoulders.

His hair was long and grey hair, yellow eyes gleaming out in the night.

He held his hands loosely at his sides, but despite this Naruto noticed the gun tucked into the waistband of his grey faded jeans.

He swalloed nervously, and the man seemed to notice this. "Now, now, there's no need for aggression."

As a gesture of peace, he removed the gun from its resting place, and threw it on the ground, the pistol clattering loudly in the night.

"I merely wish to talk."

Naruto frowned as he held his spear up, its pointed shaft pointing into the air, as he held it down against the ground. "And what if I don't want to listen?"

The man chuckled idly, shoulders shrugging as he did so. "Well then, that is your choice of course. But I doubt your 'friends' will be willing to provide you with the true answers."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Friends eh? You mean my dormates?"

Disdain entered his tone now. "They're all just a pain."

The man nodded at this. "Ah, then in light of that-

He strode forward, and handed Naruto a card. "Take this."

The blond gave it a cursory glance and no more, before tucking it into the pocket of his jacket. "Look me up if you want to know the truth. Just show that to the guard, and ask for Takaya."

He smiled warmly at Hua, who returned the favor in kind. "I look forward to seeing you again my dear."

Then, without another word, he bent down to pick up his gun, the mist gathering about him as he did so-

And when it cleared, he was gone.

The blond scratched his head. "Okay, this place is freaky."

"NARUTO!"

A loudh shout jolted him out of his stupor, and whirling round, he beheld Yukari and Mitsuru, both whom were panting heavily, along with Akhiko, who caught up moments later.

He arched an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Akhiko looked around curiosly. "Where are the shadows?"

Naruto gave him a sidelong look. "So that's what ya call them."

The boxer said nothing.

So Naruto just shrugged. "Gone I guess. They musta skedaddled after I killed the big one."

But the girls didn't answer, or at least Yukari didn't.

Her eyes were fixed upon Hua-po.

"A Persona...

His eyes narrowed now. "So you know of this?"

Mitsuru nodded, a small smile set upon her face. "Well, it looks like you really DID have the potential-

CRASH!

He slammed Houzikimaru against the pavement, the sharp sound of its crash making the two girls jump. "Enough of this. You've been hiding something from me, the moment I got here."

His piercing gaze passed over the three, anger laced within it. "I want answers, and I want em now."

Akhiko chuckled. "Well, looks like you have quite a temper there."

Naruto glared at him, but the senior was unfazed, despite the piercing glare. "Watch it buddy."

He just raised his fists, getting into a boxing stance. "And what're you gonna do?"

Mitsuru shook her head in mild amusement. "Come on, I'll explain everything."

Hua sighed as she sank down on Naruto's shoulder, her little shoulders sagging in relief. "Thank goodness! I'm getting sleepy!"

At that EVERYONE aside from Naruto, whirled about. "SHE CAN TALK?!"

--

(Later)

Naruto scratched his head, and let out a simultaneous yawn, along with Hua-po, who was now nuzzled into his neck, resting her small head there.

Once he finished, he gave Ikutsuki a strange look.

"So let me get this straight."

He stood up, and began to pace the room.

"So, these shadows, they only exist in the dark hour, a time where only those with the 'potential' can be active, while the rest turn into coffins?"

The chairman nodded. "That's correct."

Naruto continued his pacing. "And that potential is a persona-

He gestured to his own persona, who smiled sleepily. "Like her?"

Mitsuru nodded now. "Yes, but in your aspect, its unique."

He stopped, leaning against the door now. "And how is that?"

The redhead scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, for starters-

He moved to sit down again, suddenly too weary to stand.

"Your persona shouldn't be able to speak, or even EXIST in the real world, like yours is now." Stated Yukari simply-

And earned a death glare from Naruto. "Did I ASK you?"

She glared right back, eyes sparking defiance. "No. Whaddya gonna do about it?"

Annoyed, he pushed himself off the chair. "I'll SHOW ya what I'm gonna-

Akhiko rolled his eyes as he shoved the two back down. "Cool it, we're all on the same side."

"Side?" Questioned Naruto, whilst Mitsuru rose from her seat and opened the briefcase on the table.

"Yes, that's right."

His attention was now drawn to said case, as it was opened-

Revealing a SEES armband, and an evoker.

"We'd like you to help us. Would you lend us your strength?"

He arched an eyebrow, the words forming on his lips...


	11. Refusal

**uRGH, WHERE are the reviews?! I need feedback on this before I write! And if I dont get reviews...It makes me sad...**

"No thanks."

For a moment, everyone was left speechless, then Yukari leapt out of her seat, anger written all over her face. "WHAT?!"

Naruto smirked and held up one finger, glad that his own personal decisions were irking her so easily. "One: I don't need a gun, especially if Hua-chan exists in the real world."

Mitsuru nodded. "That makes sense."

He raised another finger. "Two: I don't like the armband."

Ikuutski snorted, finding that little quirk quite funny.

"Third: My power is mine, and mine alone. I ain't lending to ANYONE."

Akhiko frowned, reminded of a certain someone. "Now why do you say that?"

A glare was sent his way. "You have your reasons, and I have my own."

Finally a fourth, and as he stated this final fact, a disdainful sneer was set upon his face: "Lastly, I just don't want to."

He saw sadness upon their faces, and with a little subconscious prodding from Hua-po, added a bit more."But that's not to say I won't help-

SMACK!

Somehow, Yukari abruptly crossed the small distance between them slapping Naruto clear across the face with her right hand, her expression furious. "Don't be stupid!"

Everyone, even Ikuutski, was gobsmacked by the sudden violent motion, their jaws agape.

His head jerked back left, from the motion, and when it came around-

"Big mistake."

He disappeared in a poof of smoke, gone in an instant.

They all blinked, Yukari the most confused-

Until he grabbed her in a headlock, his grip painfully tight as his chin rested atop hers.

If it was even possible, the other persona users were even MORE confused.

HOW did he just do that?

His voice, now low and feral, hissed in her ear, sending a shiver throughout her body."Temper temper, Yuka-tan."

"Let me go... She hissed, feeling short of breath, blackness already starting to cloud her vision, her hands clawing desperately at his arms, which held her windpipe fast.

"Why?" Spat the Jinchuuriki, his frustration at the boiling point. "So you can smack me again?!"

"What is WITH you? Why do you always spite me?" She whimpered, barely able to breathe now.

How could someone have so much hate?

"You wanna know what?" He chuckled.

As he said this, his grip tightened further, tone laced with insanity.

His eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'll _show_ you."

Then, to Yukari, everything went white...

--

(One minute later)

Mitsuru and the others gasped as Takeba just slumped to the ground, hitting the floor hard, as her body crashed to the earth.

"What did you DO?!" Hissed Akhiko as he knelt down beside her, checking for a pulse, which he thankfully found.

Naruto snorted now, tired of this. "I taught her a lesson.

Then he was gone, simply striding out the door. "I'll be in my room."

Akhiko shook his head as he picked Yukari up off the ground. "He's just like Shinji...

--

He got no further than the third floor, before he was followed by Mitsuru and Ikuutski.

"Uzumaki, wait."

He frowned as Mitsuru told him to halt, his back still to her. "NOW what?"

She sighed as she planted both hands on her wide hips. "You have an amazing gift. You shouldn't be wasting it."

He cast a silently sad look down at the sleeping faerie.

His tone was somber, a harsh contrast to the aggression he had displayed only moments before.

Ever so gently, he ran a finger over the back of the sleeping girl, rewarded with a happy sigh as she nuzzled deeper into his neck, a small smile upon her sleeping face.

"Whoever said I intended to waste it?"

Momentarily at a loss for words, due to his sudden personality flop, she knew not what to say. "I...

So instead, the chairman spoke up.

Ikutsuki coughed into his hand. "Ah, so this is what it looks like."

Naruto arched an eyebrow as the veins faded. "You know of my bloodline?"

Shouji (**Thats Ikuutski's first name)** nodded. "Indeed. I once knew a man who was quite proud of those eyes."

This earned him a frown now. "Did he give you his NAME by any chance?"

The chairman shook his head, smiling sadly. "Sadly, he did not. AND that was a long time ago."

Frustrated, Naruto sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Can't I get a straight answer from you people?"

He got silence in return.

He waited for at least a minute, but when it was clear that nothing more would be said, he simply walked down the stairs, heading for his room. "Good night."

--

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Then silence.

Groaning, Naruto rolled out of bed, carefully checking on Hua, who was sleeping soundly in the small bed he had made for her.

Gently, he tiptoed across the floor, and opened the door-

To find Mitsuru at the other end.

The two blushed at the sight of the other.

For Naruto, although he was wearing a pair of dark sweatpants, was shirtless, unintentionally showing off the tan muscle of his body.

As for Mitsuru, she was clad in a...well a towel.

The pink fabric was bound tightly against her voluptuous form, bound in the back with a thick knot-

But her lack of clothing only served to worsen the situation.

Not to mention the fact that she was still dripping wet from her interrupted shower

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, trying his best to avert his eyes from the gorgeous vixen before him. "Erm...

She blushed and looked away, short of breath, both from exhaustion, and embarrassment.

Good kami, this was SO embarrassing. "There's a spider in the shower. Could you...

He facefaulted, up in a second. "You have got to be kidding me-

The look on her face made it obvious she was not. "Please?"

Groaning, he knew he would be getting no sleep unless he helped her.

Groaning, he left his room, softly closing the door behind him. "Lead me to it...

--

(later)

SQUASH!

He found the spider easily, and in moments, solved the problem, snatching it up in his hands.

Mitsuru winced, terrified of the small creature. "Careful, it might-

He opened his hand to reveal the spider, calmly resting in his palm. "Nah, its just a daddy long leg."

A yawn did escape him as he strode to the nearby window and opened it. "He's harmless.

Placing his hand out open against the windowsill, he coaxed the spider from his palm. "Come on, get outta here."

It did not hesitate, and quickly scurried down the outside wall, soon lost to sight, glad to be away from the scary redhead.

He laughed as he closed the window, noting the strange look she was giving him. "So, you're afraid of spiders."

Blushing, she looked away. "So?"

He walked past her, and from him, she could easily smell the thick sweet scent of ramen. "Just another little fact to remember."

"W-Well you talk to animals!" She sputtered out defensively.

It was the first thing that came to her mind, so she said it.

It made him halt.

She was applauded, her words had been true. "Lucky guess. And yeah, I CAN talk to animals."

He shrugs nonchalantly, his expression unreadable. "You'd be surprised at what they have to say about us."

The clock chimed, and he saw that it was 2:00 A.M.

This spurred another yawn. "Okay, I need to get some sleep-

"Wait."

He sighed, shoulders sagging yet again. "I don't like waiting."

His back was still to her, hiding the look upon his face, the mixed expression of sadness/annoyance.

"Why did you refuse to join us?"

That got the appropriate reaction from him.

Whirling about, he forgot to cover his eyes, and nearly got a nosebleed as he beheld her barely clothed form.

Wisely, he covered them again, sucking the trail of blood back in. "I never said I wouldn't HELP."

Her voice sounded closer now. "And whats THAT supposed to mean?"

Grimacing, he wished he had somewhere to sit. "You should know, your the one that always speaks in riddles."

A sigh was heard from her. "I don't really have a choice sometimes...

"Looks like your the leader, am I correct in assuming this?"

Mitsuru gave a small smile. "How'd you know?"

He smiled ruefully, eyes still covered. "My Byakugan. I'm sorta like a human lie detector."

When he opened them, the bloodline limit was active, the sheer intensity of his gaze unnerving to behold.

But he made sure to look AWAY from her, lest he faint from a nosebleed.

"Tell me why."

He shook his head as she tried to move into his field of vision, his eyes shut tightly against his all seeing vision. "For PETE'S SAKE, get decent first!"

Blushing, the senior realized her lack of clothing. "My apologies."

--

(later)

Naruto sad down on the bed, and let out a weary sigh, Mitsuru now clad in a simple pink bathrobe, sitting beside him.

Well, it was better than the towel.

"Look, I just don't want to lean on others."

He left it hanging there, hoping she would take the hint.

She did not.

"AND?"

Hissing in annoyance, he stamped his feet upon the carpeted floor. "Curiosity killed the cat."

Mitsuru arched an eyebrow. "I don't have cats."

Naruto sweat-dropped. Either she was SUPER dense, or just innocently naive.

He hoped it was the later. "Okay...

"Stop beating around the bush Uzumaki."

He repressed the anger, with difficulty, tone strained as he spoke.

"Hey, I'll help you guys out, but I'm not gonna be on your team. Just be grateful that I even WANT to help."

"Then join us. As a team we'll be that much and more."

He shook his head and looked away.

He could feel it building again...

"I can't."

Frowned, she did at this. "Why are you being so stubborn?"

He clutched his head as pain began to blossom. "Why are you asking me so many questions?"

Annoyed, she resorted to using his first name. "Naruto Uzumaki, get off your high horse, and help us!"

Suddenly, he whirled on her, and it was like she was seeing a completely different person.

His eyes were red now, the slits of his pupils screaming malice.

No longer was his hair smooth, but instead, had become rough and jagged.

The whisker marks upon his face had deepened, and somehow, his canine teeth had grown into fangs.

All in all, he was rather frightening to behold.

"NO! I HAVE THINGS TO DO!"

Enraged, he brought his fists crashing down on the nearby table, splitting it in two, his crimson boring into her hazel. "Why do you people always have to force things on me?! Can't you just accept me for who I am?!"

She winced at his brutal tone, but before anything could be said, he stormed out, the door crashing behind him, nearly ripped of its hinges from the sheer force.

--

He paused at his door, and took a deep breath, in and out, exhaling the stress that was constantly building up within him.

"Easy...Take...it...easy...

Then he opened the door, and silently walked back in, snagging his shirt, and putting the black tee back on.

The pain in his noggin faded moments later.

"What is WRONG with me...

--

Moments later, he was awakened yet again, this time by a soft tapping on his chest. "Urgh...

Blearily opening his eyes, he found himself staring into the doe brown eyes of Hua-po.

The WET brown eyes.

It would seem that she had been crying.

A small sniffle escaped her. "I-I-I-I-

Sighing, he sat up, leaning back against the bed-rest. "You what?"

She looked away, stammering nervously as her small frame trembled from fear. "H-Had a b-bad d-dream."

His eyes closed in an attempt to relieve stress. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Almost immediately, he realized his mistake, a small gasp being heard from her. "N-Nani?"

He waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey hey! I didn't mean it!"

But she was crying again, tears leaking out of her little eyes, small body shaking with miniature hiccups. "Naruto-kun, that was MEAN!"

He felt TERRIBLE as he watched the little faerie rub her fists against her eyes, a vain attempt to stop the flow of misery.

"You're MEAAAAN!"

He sighed as he watched her cry.

_'Man, I'm being a grade A (BLANK INSERT CURSE WORD OF CHOICE).'_

The word was rolled around in his head for a bit. Yup, that pretty much described his behavior right now.

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "Heh, maybe ya got a point."

Briefly, her flow of tears stopped. "Nani?"

Gently, he patted her on the head, a small smile upon his face, as she snifled again. "I'm sorry."

"EEP!"

She let out a small cry of surprise as she felt him lay back down, using his index finger to keep her steady.

Idly, he patted his chest, his eyes already beginning to close, his arms crossed behind his head. "You can rest here, if you want."

Her reaction was instantaneous, her tears gone in an instant. "Yay!"

He felt a small pair of lips pressed against his cheek, and heat flushed his face red, as he realized that she had just kissed him. "Thanks Naruto-kun!"

"N-No problem." He sputtered, still surprised by the kiss.

Moments later, he felt her familiar weight nestled against his chest, and he dared to open one eye.

Her own were closed, her body laying flat against his chest, her small dainty hands clutching tightly the fabric of his shirt.

She was smiling, and for some reason, he too smiled at that, his mouth contorting upward in a small grin.

The sight of her like this...

Even though TECHNICALLY she was a part of him-

It made him feel at peace.

He slept easy that night, and for the first time in the past month, no nightmares plagued him.


	12. HELP! SONG IDEA NEEDED!

Naruto was smiling the entire time as disembarked the monorail.

It truly was amazing, what a good night's sleep could do for ya.

His headphones were in place, blasting rock music into his ears, and he was in the best mood he had ever been.

Hua-po sat happily upon his shoulder, invisible to all, but him, via an invisibility spell.

"N-Naruto-san?"

He dimly heard a voice through the pounding stereos. "Hmm?"

Removing them from his ears, he looked to his left, and arched a blond eyebrow-

As he saw Fuuka, the girl whom he had called up on the stage just the other day.

He raised a hand in greeting as they continued towards school. "Oh hey Fuuka."

She smiled nervously as she moved to walk beside him. "Um... I was wondering...

"Wondering what?" He asked curiously genuinely intrested in something for once.

"Are you going to play again? Today?"

He looked up into the sky, and frowned. "Hmm, I'm not sure."

The meek girl hung her head. "O-Okay."

"But I guess I can."

Immediately her eyes lit up. "R-Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

Nervously, she looked up once more. "Then...

He already knew it.

"You wanna come up on stage again?"

She nodded shyly. "Yes, I would...

-- (later)

The instant the lunch bell rang, the entire school was out in the courtyard, waiting for Naruto-

They were not dissapointed.

In a flash of smoke, he appeared once more, along with his three clones.

The moment they and their stage appeared, everyone went wild, and a loud cheer went up.

Naruto was grinning like a maniac, as he stepped aside-

To reveal Fuuka Yamagishi, nervously standing behind him.

Everyone gasped.

**(okay, PM me for a song idea, a rock song, involving love, or it will not continue!) **


	13. Conflicts

**(Date: Friday.)**

For, instead of her usual shy expression, this time-

Determination was set on her face, a mike held tightly in her left hand.

Grinning, Naruto grabbed the foremost mike, and yelled into it. "HEEEEELLO GEKOUKAN HIGH! HOW YA DOIN?!"

The roar was instantaneous, loud and fierce as the students cried out their response.

"GOOOOOOD!"

He let out a laugh. "Well then, I'd like to introduce ya to a lil someone!"

Gesturing expasnively, he waved a hand to Fuuka, who, faltering for a moment, waved shyly back.

"SAY HELLO TO FUUKA!"

NOW the crowd roared aloud, and emboldened, the girl gave a small bow, Naruto spinning round to face the crowd once more. "I'm in a good mood today-

He released his guitar now, slingling it over his back-

"So, THIS time, I ain't gonna be playing."

A collective gasp was heard.

"WHAT?!"

"NO!"

Until he snatched the mike off the stand, twirling it about in his fingertips, eyes alight with feral glee.

"I'm gonna sing."

A cheer, ten times louder, and mostly from the girls, came up.

"HE'S GONNA SING!"

"AWESOME! MAYBE HE'LL CALL ME UP ON STAGE THIS TIME!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP ABOUT THAT?!"

He tapped his foot, and the band went into motion.

A quick glance was cast towards Fuuka, before the blond moved to stand beside her.

"Ready?"

She nodded nervously, blush alight upon her face. "Y-Yes."

It began.

**(RA-Every little thing she does is magic)**

His two clones lit into the song, whilst the drummer picked up the beat.

Naruto closed his eyes, and began: **(Watch the concert vid for the motions)**

_Though I've tried before to tell her  
Of the feelings I have for her/him in my heart  
Every time that I come near her  
I just lose my nerve  
As I've done from the start_

_--_

The clapping started now.

Fuuka's voice now joined in, mixing perfectly with his:

_Every little thing she/he does is magic  
Everything she/he do just turns me on  
Even though my life before was tragic  
Now I know my love for her/him goes on..._

_--_

She had her eyes open, so the shy girl did not fail to notice the smile creepin upon the fine features of his face...

The blush rushed to her face again, closing her eyes against it, vainly she wished for it to go away.

_'Not now!'_

So embarrassed was she-

That she had failed to notice that Naruto had stopped singing, leaving her to carry on the next few lines alone:

_Do I have to tell the story  
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met  
It's a big enough umbrella  
But it's always me that ends up getting wet..._

--

The crowd, or rather the MALE portion of it, was cheering loudly now, whistles and cheers rising from them.

At that, Fuuka realized that she was singing alone. _'Wha-Wha-Why did he stop?!'_

Her eyes snapped open, dizziness unsteadying her, and she wobbled forward-

Until an arm shot out and steadied her, courtesy of Naruto, whose voice joined in once more, as he held her firmly by the shoulders.

_Every little thing she does is magic  
Everything she do just turns me on..._

She felt something, an exhilertating sensation, course through her at his touch, and for that brief moment, she felt invinvible, her stunned (green?) eyes staring up into his calm, blue, all the while he was singing.

_Sing._

The look in his eyes said it all.

Smiling brightly she opened her mouth, his hands leaving her shoulder as she did so-

_Even though my life before was tragic  
Now I know my love for her/him goes on_

_I resolve to call her/him up a thousand times a day  
And ask if she'll/he'll marry me in some old fashioned way  
But my silent fears have gripped me  
Long before I reach the phone  
Long before my tongue has tripped me  
Must I always be alone?_

_--_

Emboldened by the music, Fuuka now began to dance, just as the beat picked up again **(picture your own favorite dance, and insert it here :) )**

Naruto let out a laugh, then was right beside her, dancing in the same goofy/cool **(It depends on YOUR dance) **movements, not caring one bit whether this would make a fool of them.

As the lyrics continued, they suddenly twisted about, now looking straight at each other-

As if this song was directed unto the other.

_Every little thing she/he does is magic  
Everything she/he do just turns me on  
Even though my life before was tragic  
Now I know my love for her/him goes on_

_--_

Grinning, the three clones tappered off on the beat now, the song was coming to an end...

The voices of Naruto and Fuuka softened as well, until their voices became little more than a whisper...

_Every little thing, every little thing  
Every little thing, every little thing  
Every little, every little, every little  
Every little thing she/he does.._

_--_

Several girls within the crowd were frowning, as they saw the starry eyed look in Fuuka's eyes.

"Do you see the way she's looking at him?"

"Hey, is she trying to steal Naruto-kun?"

Murmurs were abound now, and none of the were good.

"How DARE she!"

"He's WAY too cool for a loser like her!"

"She needs to be taught a lesson!"

The discontented girls now gathered together, whispers heard from within their loosely formed circle.

"Yeah, that'll work...

Fuuka had no way of knowing it, but she had just made a great deal of trouble for herself...

--  
_Every little thing, every little thing  
Every little thing, every little thing  
Every little, every little, every little  
Every little thing she/he does..._

The two gave a low bow as the music tappered off-

And for a split second, their foreheads touched.

Time stood still, everything else stopped

Naruto blinked, surprised, whilst Fuuka turned beet red, shutting her eyes tightly against the persistent flush.

"Na-Naruto?"

"W-What?" He sputtered, embarassed at the close proximity.

Her voice lowered to less than a whisper as she hung her head meekly. "Are you free after school?"

His eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up incredibly high.

Had she just asked him out?

"Erm...

Then the crowd erupted into cheers, breaking the tender moment, the two of them jumping back in surprise as they basked in the glory of their triumph.

Moments later, Naruto was surrounded by adoring fangirls, swarmed by them each one shouting her praise of the talented musician.

"That was awesome Naruto-kun!"

"Hey, can I go up on stage with you next time?"

"Can I meet your brothers?"

Startled, Fuuka abruptly pulled back, running off, heading back to the school at a breakneck pace, head hung low.

"FUUKA! WAIT!"

He shouted this after her, but either she did not hear him, or the crowd as too loud.

In fact, she seemed to run all the faster now, and was soon lost from sight, passing through the entrance of school...

Groaning, he saw that their was still fifteen minutes left of lunch, and judging by all the fangirls-

He wasn't going anywhere.

Hua-po shook her head sadly from where she sat.

_Naru-kun, can I go up on stage next time?_

His answer was given away before he even thought about it.

_'Sure.'_

_YAY!_

Only then did he realize the severity of what had been promised.

That meant Fuuka would have to share the spotlight, and he had to find out WHAT she meant by asking him if he had free time today...

And he STILL had to go to work for the night shift, find Nami, and...

Well he didn't know WHAT, but something had to be done.

There was no way he was gonna let her be depressed like that-

Even if she HAD torn his beating heart out, and stomped it to bloody bits.

This was gonna be a long day...


	14. The Sarcastic Sprite! Enter Yurie!

The moment the final bell rang, Naruto was already out in the courtyard, millions of thoughts racing through his head.

He had to find out WHAT she meant by asking him if he had free time today...

And he STILL had to go to work for the night shift, find Nami, and._.._

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Junpei, leaning against the gate-

And the downcast look upon his face.

Against his better judgement, he approached his melancholy friend.

"Oi, Junpei, you okay?"

No answer.

Annoyed, Naruto raised his hand-

--

Junpei nearly jumped out of his skin, as Naruto slapped him on the back. "WAH!"

As it was, he leapt a good foot into the air.

Hua-po was giggling all the while. _'Naruto-kun, you're so silly!'_

Naruto just sweat dropped as his friend crashed to the ground, face first. "Man, you are JUMPY."

Junpei scratched the back of his head as he picked himself up. "Sorry, I'm just outta it."

"How so?" Inquired the blond, arching an eyebrow.

The cocky junior looked away. "It's...nothin. I've just been getting these weird headaches lately."

"Take some pain pills. I'm sure it'll go away." Suggested Naruto.

Iori shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Then a sheepish grin lit his face as he shouldered his back. "Sorry to trouble ya, bro."

He was waved off. "Nah, its nothing."

Junpei seemed happy at that. "Dude, you have some free time tomorrow?"

The blonde nodded, halted in mid-step. "Yeah, I have the day off, why?."

An evil glint appeared in Junpei's eyes. "Well, in THAT case, how about you and me try a lil 'operation' tomorrow?"

Quickly, je jerked his head towards five nearby girls, muttering under his breath as he did so, careful not to be overheard. "If ya know what I mean."

Naruto frowned, sweat-dropping as he did so. "You mean pick up girls?"

"SHHHHH!" Hissed Junpei, waving his hands rapidly. "Not so loud!"

But the girls had heard SOMETHING, and now they were heading towards Naruto.

Immediately Junpei looked away, whistling innocently to himself.

Luckily, they were to fixated on Naruto to notice what he had said, as they were now crowded around the blond in a circle, little pink hearts fluttering over their heads.

"Oh look! Its Naruto-kun!"

"Naruto-kun! Hey!"

"You were AWESOME today!"

"So, when are we gonna meet?"

It vaguely occurred to him that he had promised to meet with these five. as thanks for spreading the word about him.

After all, they WERE his biggest fans, the ones who always got the school together for his concerts.

Yet another mark on his busy schedule...

Yet he forced a smile, flashing his pearly whites in a wide grin, towards all of them, yet none of them in particular. "Thanks girls. I'm glad that you've been able to get everyone together on such short notice."

A question mark appeared above Junpei's head. "Whoa, wait a sec. Are you takin all FIVE of them-

Immediately, five evil glares were sent his way, along with a simultaneous cry of: "STAY OUTTA THIS!"

The two sweat-dropped at their fierce fan-girl like behavior.

A pleading look was sent Naruto's way, from Junpei.

_'Dude, come on! That is SO not fair!'_

The hint was taken, and thus the blond spoke up, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Take it easy on him. He's a friend of mine."

"Is he one of your band-mates?" Queried one, a tall, well endowed girl sporting doe brown eyes and brilliant long black hair, which she now pushed to one side, out of her eyes.

Naruto cast a look to Junpei-

But alas, the brash junior let his mouth run on autopilot. "Yup! We go waaaay back-

He musician was about to reprimand him when-

Tap

Tap.

Naruto's mind zoned out as he felt Hua-po tapping him.

_Naruto!_

_'Eh?'_

Worry was thick in the faerie's voice._'Its Fuuka-chan! I found her!'_

His eyes narrowed as he was given the details. _'No way!'_

He turned to his little 'entourage', false apology all over his face. "Sorry, I have an important matter to attend to before we go."

It was a good thing they were to OBSESSED with him to notice that. "AWWW!" They each groaned simultaneously, their shoulders sagging consecutively.

Naruto gave a nod to Junpei. "I'll be right back, but in the meantime, feel free to talk to Junpei."

As he took off, he heard some of their chatter.

"Do you play the base?"

"Does Naruto-kun have a girlfriend?"

"What's his favorite color?"

"Could you get me up on stage?"

_'Poor Junpei. I think I just gave him a death sentence..._

--

(Gekkoukan High Gym)

A loud banging was heard from the inside of the gym.

"LET ME OUT!" Screamed Fuuka, tears running down her face as she beat weakly against the door, wishing that this was all just a bad dream.

"NO!" Came the instantaneous shout of several girls, all of whom had trapped the poor girl within the gym, THEN locked her in. "You're gonna stay in there!"

Desperately, she pounded upon the doors all the harder, but to no avail, as they did not budge.

"Why are you doing this?!"

Naruto skidded to a stop as he rounded the corner. "Found them...Was his silent murmur, as he now watched intently, the scene that was taking place.

From the outside, a girl with orange hair sneered. "Simple. There's no WAY we're letting you steal Naruto-kun!"

They all laughed again. "We won't let you out until you PROMISE to never speak to him again!"

Sobbing was heard from the other side of the door, and much to his disgust, the girls laughed jeeringly, the one with the orange hair, OBVIOUSLY the leader speaking once more, taking great pleasure in Fuuka's anguish:

"That's right, its about time you learned your place here. Weak little girls like you, they don't DESERVE hot sexy guys like MY Naruto-kun.

A scowl contorted the features of his face, he was already going through the necessary seals. "Oh yeah, they're dead."

POOF!

There was a small poof of smoke as he transformed...

--

"AHEM!" Came a loud female shout, causing Natsuki and her 'grunts if you will' to whirl about-

Face to face with Naruto, now transformed-

Looking like a girl. **(you know, sexy jutsu, but with school girl clothes. Therefore, 'he' shall temporarily be referred to as 'she')**

She did NOT look happy, as she crossed her arms over her ample chest, which did little to cover the nearly exposed cleavage, held back by the 'barely there' shirt, whilst her now long blond hair was tied back into two long twin pigtails.

"What are you doing?" Hissed the blond, her anger reaching breaking point.

"Hey look, its Naruto-kun's sister... Murmured one of the girls.

Naruto sneered as she played along. "That's right. And 'Sora' doesn't like what she's seeing here."

The girls paled as the blond bombshell cracked her knuckles menacingly. "So I'm gonna do EXACTLY what my big brother would...

The shortest one paled. "You're gonna let us go?"

An evil anime aura was around 'Sora' now, and that evil glint was in her eyes.

"You wish."

Natsuki waved her hands i n a pleading motion. "Wait a second! There's no need to get physical!"

Sora shook her head as she stalked forward. "Oh yes there is...

--

Fuuka jumped back in surprise as she heard the sounds of a scuffle, then several bodies dropping to the floor, followed by a ripping sound, as the lock was torn off its hinges, opening the door and revealing-

Naruto standing before her, perfectly unharmed.

But then whose voice was that earlier?

Right now, she was SO confused!

His eyes betrayed his fierce worry, as he saw the-

Bruises on her face.

Immediately, he knelt before her, unknowingly placing a hand to her cheek.

The blush came again to her face, but he ignored it, instead focused on her.

"They hurt you." This was no question, but a statement, acknowledgement of fact.

She winced as his fingertips gently pushed upon the bruise. "I'm sorry."

Surprised, he cast her a disapproving look. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Y-Yes I do!" She sputtered, tears brimming in the back of her eyes. "I-I-I-

Water began to leak down her face, and disgusted with herself, Fuuka hung her head, absolutely REFUSING to let them fall.

"Kami, I'm so weak! I'm always leaning on others!" Was her muffled cry as, despite her best efforts, the water began to fall upon the floor.

His arms encircled her, and before she knew it, the shy girl had been pulled into Naruto's chest.

Her blush turned a dark crimson, her eyes going wide. "Na-Naruto san...

"Baka."

She blinked. "Nani?"

He smirked as his hands rested on the small of her back. "You're SUPPOSED to lean on others."

She shook her head, but he would not let her finish. "That's what friends are for-

Fuuka looked down, but Naruto placed a hand under her chin, forcing it back up, so she could look him square in the eye.

"That's what I'M for."

Sobs shook her now, her body trembling. "I hate this."

"Hate what?" He prodded gently, preventing her from hanging her head.

"Being alone!" Was her sad and broken cry, startling him in its intensity, as she shouted up at him.

He released his hold on her chin, and gently placed his left hand on the back of her head, resting through her light green hair, his right hand still pressed against her back, as he held her close.

"Fuuka."

"W-What?" She sniffled, loathing her very existence now, and those who made it such a miserable one.

He lowered his head-

Allowing his chin to rest atop hers.

His next words were a whisper, and she promised herself that she would cherish them forever.

"You are NEVER alone."

Only then did she begin to cry, wailing into his chest, burying her eyes there, and just letting it all out...

He heard a shattering sound in his head-

_Aw, how touching. _Echoed a very SARCASTIC voice.

Time seemed to stand still, as Naruto felt two weights on his shoulder.

One, on the right, he knew to be Hua-po-

But who was the other?

He heard the voice again, distinctly female, but unlike Hua's which was more high pitched and innocent, this sounded lower, more sultry.

_Idiot. Look to the left,_

He did so, looking in that direction-

And what he saw, practically made his eyes bug out.

"EH?!"

There, sitting on his shoulder, right leg crossed over her left, and arms hanging loosely at her sides-

Was ANOTHER fairy.

"A persona!" Came his startled cry, and the sprite shook her head, rich silver eyes filled with disdain, her voice no longer bounding about in his head, but being spoke in real time.

_My my, aren't YOU intelligent! _

Perhaps a description of our spiteful little sprite would help.

She was a good inch or two taller than Hua-po, and like her, she also had wings-

The similarities ended there.

Her wings were sharper, a distinct emerald green, and for now, they hung from her back, in the lowered position, laying flat against her back.

In sharp contrast to the vibrant red of Hua's skin, her own was a pale tan, and yet LIKE Hua, she was not fully clothed, wearing what could only be described as a _pure goth_ outfit **(Paine's outfit from Final Fantasy X-2, if you need to know)**

Dark eyeshadow was evident on her face, and her lips were colored with pitch black lipstick.

Her eyes sparkled with annoyance, as she ran her hands back through her long, bright silvery hair, tone rich with perpetual nonchalance. "Name's Yurie. I'm from the Priestess Arcana."

She raised a hand in greeting to Hua, a small smirk forming as she recognized her fellow persona.

"Yo, long time no see, Po."

The younger sprite got up and smiled brightly, a wide grin upon her face. "Yurie-chan!"

"URK!" Cried the woman as she was grabbed in a hug, nearly crushed by the strength of the younger girl

Hua-po didn't seem to notice that she was crushing her mentor. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Same here, now could ya let me go... hissed the pixie, who was now finding it quite difficult to breathe.

Hua blushed as she released her nearly suffocate friend, and fluttered backwards. "Gomen!"

Yurie sucked in a long ragged breath before looking up at Naruto, massaging the spiked choker round her neck as she did so. "So, THIS is your 'Naruto-kun' eh?"

Hua's deep crimson flush could no be seen, due to the coloring of her face, as she looked away.

Naruto sweat dropped. "Erm...

Yurie now focused on him,arching a dark eyebrow. "Don't tell me I have to EXPLAIN it to you-MMPH!"

Hua abruptly clapped a hand over her mentor's mouth, her voice a whisper. "SH! I don't want him to find out!"

He shook his head, actually, I was going to ask WHY you're here."

BAP!

With a sharp elbow to the gut, Yurie forced Hua to release her, as the red skinned girl doubled over. "Well, what do you know about Social links?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nothing."

Exasperated, Yurie flitted up to him, and with surprising strength for one so small, sharply smacked him over the head, that one punch painful as TEN chakra packed punches from Tsunade.

"YEOW!" he cried, fire exploding in his head, stars past his eyes.

"YURIE-CHAN!" Cried Hua-po, absolutely SHOCKED that her mentor still had every bit of her foul temperance still painfully present.

She made no move to apologize, ignoring the glare sent her way by the two. "He deserved it. Now I have to explain-

Only then did she notice Fuuka, and a small smile did spread over her face, an EVIL one I might add!

"Tonight."

She snapped her fingers, as she drew a veil about herself, using some kind of cloak to hide herself.

But her presence, cold, yet warm, could be equally felt within him now, as if it had always been there. "So until then, enjoy yourself."

Time flowed anew.

--

Fuuka whimpered weakly as she released her grip on Naruto, eyes red from crying for so long. "Tell Sora-chan I said thanks."

His watch beeped, and his eyes nearly bugged out as he saw that only five minutes had passed in reality, when it felt like hours to him

He nodded. "We were looking for you when this commotion started."

She nodded to herself, until he spoke.

"Hey, about that, having free time after school-

She shook her head, fear and uncertainty already creeping back in, along with a dreaded sense of hopelessness."I-Its okay if you d-don't want to-

His smile, dazzlingly white, warmed to her very core as he released her, looking quite amused as she tried to hide her blush.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

Her eyes lit up. "R-Really?!"

He nodded once. " Really. Why would I lie?"

**Okay, I'm putting up a poll, to decide as to whether he should have a sister, and if she should go to the same school oas him, have a persona, etc. PLEASE VOTE, AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW**


	15. Forgive me!

**(I've decided. His sis is coming in!)**

Naruto was laughing heartily as they left the movie theatre, tears of mirth streaming down his face. "Man, that was the FUNNIEST movie I've ever seen!"

His laughter was mirrored by Fuuka, who had also greatly enjoyed the flick. "I know! That was the best movie ever!"

At last their laughter died away, and Naruto glanced at his watch.

It was 5:00.

He had to go to work.

That meant he would get to see Nami again.

He smiled a bit at that, but it was a rueful one.

Fuuka noticed this, and inquired about it.

"Naruto-kun?"

He blinked, startled out of his reverie. "Oh, sorry. It's almost time for me to work."

A light blush lit her face, under his calm cool, gaze. "I g-guess I should get going then-

She halted as his hand briefly rested upon her shoulder. "I'll walk you there."

"O-Okay."

--

The two exchanged pleasant banter as they neared Fuuka's house.

"So, what made you a musician?"

He sighed, Hinata's lovely form popping into his head unbidden, bringing wonderful, yet at the same time painful, memories with it. "Well, a friend of mine heard me play once, and she encouraged me to practice."

"So you still have friends were you came from?"

He nodded.

"And your sister moved here with you?"

He chuckled sheepishly at that, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Well...

The Jinchuuriki swallowed nervously.

She was gonna be SO mad when she found out...

--

(Back in Konoha)

A loud shout shook the Hokage tower to its very foundations. "HE DID WHAT?!"

Tsunade flinched as the seething girl before her fumed dangerously. "Sora, calm down!"

"NO!" She shrieked right back, face a bright red, steam spouting out of her ears, bellying her rage,

"I get back from a year long mission, my brother's gone, and you want me to CALM DOWN?!"

Ah, as you can see, THIS is Naruto's sister.

Upon closer inspection, it can OBVIOUSLY be seen, that he got the idea for his 'Sexy Jutsu' from her, as she looks exactly like it, well, except that she's actually wearing clothes.

She stands a good six feet tall, much like her little brother, but unlike him, she doesn't wear blue and orange, instead choosing to favor a darker ensemble, which clung tightly to her VERY well endowed body **(Soi-Fong's combat outfit for reference)**

Despite this, most ninja in the village feared to date her, for fear of arousing her foul temper.

Her long blond hair was tied in long twin pigtails, hanging down near the floor. Her blue eyes sparkled dangerously, and her arms were crossed over her ample bosom, hands clenching and un-clenching furiously, rustling against the steel mesh of her gloves.

The sannin was glad that the Kyuubi hadn't been sealed into HER, otherwise, with Sora's volcanic temper, the Leaf would have been destroyed ten times over.

This only served to make things worse, as his big sister yelled again, now grabbing the older woman by the scruff of her neck. "WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"

Tsunade remained silent. "He personally asked me to tell no one.

Sora raised a fist menacingly and her fellow blond gulped as it sparkled with white light, her own unique chakra color, surrounding and encasing her hand in the deadly energy...

The name of this chakra encasing technique was unknown to many, but it was more commonly known as 'Flash Release.' As when used effectively, the last thing you saw was a flash-

Then you were dead.

Her voice was deadly, yet eerily calm as her grip tightened. "Tell where Naruto is before I bash your head in."

She wasn't bluffing, that much was clear.

When it came to her little brother, she NEVER bluffed.

Therefore, the first female Hokage had no choice but to give up the goods.

"Gekkoukan High, on Tatsumi Island."

Immediately, Sora's eyes widened, then narrowed with recognition. "I know where that is...

A small clink was heard, as her headband dropped on the desk. "He transferred, didn't he...

The next thing Tsunade knew, Sora was gone in a poof of smoke, dropping her heavily as she did so.

"LATER GRANDMA!"

The sannin coughed violently as the dust cleared. "I swear, she's worse than him...

--

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?" He mumbled as she suddenly stopped, forcing him to do the same.

She was hanging her head and that drew his attention. "What's up?"

He had to listen closely to pick up what she was saying. "Do I look...cute?"

A light blush lit his face. "W-Whaddya mean by that?"

Nervously she tented her fingers, and seeing the motion again sent a wave of painful nostalgia crashing down upon him.

_'I'm seeing her everywhere I go..._

He was shaken out of his reverie when she spoke.

"I-It's because no boy ever looks at me."

Anger washed away the pain, and a scowl contorted his face, rage creeping into his words.

"Do you really think that, or did those girls tell you this?"

They began walking again now, as the sun continued to set.

Surprisingly, she DEFENDED them. "N-No! They never told me that, I just thought that-

He shook his head insistently, silencing her protest. "Well, regardless, its a lie you shouldn't be telling yourself."

Mulling this over for a bit, she almost led him past her house. _'Then does that mean..._

"Oh!"

He stopped, as did she, before a modest looking average home. "This is where I live."

He eyed it over casually. "Pretty nice."

Only then did he see that the lights were out, and that there was no car in the driveway.

Curiosity smote him, but he did not ask the reason for this.

She gave him a small bow. "Thanks for walking me home, Naruto-kun."

They were at the steps to her porch now.

He calmly stood there as she raised a hand to turn the handle-

But then arched an eyebrow as she suddenly turned round, in a rare moment of boldness.

"Could we do this again sometime?"

Mistaking his confusion for anger, she hastily stammered: "N-Not b-being locked in the gym though!"

AGAIN that persistent pesky blush took hold of her!

"I-It was nice, walking home with-

He nodded once. "Sure, we can do this again sometime."

She brightened immediately. "We can?"

Again that foxy grin, that she was falling head over heels for!

"Yup."

His watch beeped again, and now he HAD to go, or he would be late.

Then, calm and cool, he walked down the street, before taking off into a run, and _just _before he rounded the corner, he shouted over his shoulder:

"SEE YOU TOMORROW FUUKA!"

She let out a happy sigh as he disappeared from sight, then sighed again, sadly, as she realized once more-

That her parents weren't home.

--

Naruto burst into Hagakure explosively. "HEY! I'm here!"

Only then did he notice-

The pale man from before, casually chatting with Fagashi, as he was served the house special.

He blinked in surprise. "Eh? What're you doing here?"

Takaya calmly turned round, a small smile on his face. "Oh, good to see you again."

"Er...Same here." Was his hesitant reply.

The man made a small gesture with his left hand. "I often come here to assist Fagashi."

"So you work here?"

Takaya nodded. "From time to time."

But one question, FAR more important, was nagging at him. "Is Nami here?"

Fagashi nodded. "That she is, she's just running an errand for me."

Takaya finished his sentence nonchalantly. "She should be back any time now."

_YAY! _came Hua's triumphant shout, reverberating about in Naruto's head, along with an exasperated snort from Yurie

_How childish..._

Naruto shook his head, clearing the cobwebs "Okay, I'm ready to go!"

Fagashi tossed him an apron. "Good, then you can train our newest employee."

"Hm?"

Takaya smiled lightly as a girl came around from the back. "Ah, there she is...

Her long, neon red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and under her apron, she wore the same outfit as Nami, coupled with a pair of black jeans underneath it.

Her brown eyes were cold and lifeless, yet her voice was not so, just...

Casual, yet filled with disdain.

Annoyance flashed across her face. "Must I wear this ridiculous attire?"

Instinctively, Naruto looked about the restaurant for any more would be 'peeping Tom's', but found none.

_'Heh, looks like that little stunt scared em off..._

Fagashi nodded sagely. "It comes with the job."

Now, he made a motion to Naruto. "This is Naruto Uzumaki. He'll be training you."

She eyed him up and down coolly. "Hello."

Takaya frowned, shaking his head dissaprovingly, much like a father would to a spoiled child. "Chidori. Don't be so rude."

Unbenknownst to them, her name was quite a shock to Naruto. _'Chidori. Like Sasuke's attack?'_

"Chidori? As in 'one thousand birds'?"

A small gasp was heard from her, and now her eyes locked with his. "You know the meaning of my name?"

Naruto shrugged carefully, eyeing her warily. "So?"

She shook her head. "Its nothing."

Then the customers came, and the rest of the night was a blur...

--

"Ow!"

He blinked as he heard Chidori hiss in pain, then his eyes widened as he saw the palm of her hand.

It was bleeding, a wide gash cut through it. "Chidori! Your hurt!"

In her other hand, was a knife, which she had been using to dice the pork.

Yet despite the fact that blood was now oozing out of her hand, she acted as if it was nothing. "I'm fine."

The cold girl attempted to go back to work-

But was stopped as Naruto abruptly seized her wrist, holding her hand up. "No you're not! You need to get this-

An idea struck him. _'Why go to the hospital? I can heal this myself..._

With a quick glance around, he made certain that no one was watching-

Then placed his hand atop hers, palm against palm.

She attempted to jerk her hand away, a light blush upon her face "Let go!"

But his iron grip did not allow her to budge.

"Hold still," He hissed, as a faint green glow emitted from his hand.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she could _feel _her skin stitching itself back together, beckoned to do so by his chakra.

Yet as he did so, he could FEEL something, another presence in the air.

Moments later, he pulled his hand away, frowning.

"You. You have a persona, do you not?"

Her eyes widened further, as she jerked her hand away. "How do you know-

The cloaking spell was released, exposing Yurie and Hua-po, the former sitting upon his left shoulder, the latter upon his right.

Hua-po smiled brightly and waved to Chidori, whilst Yurie just glared angrily at Naruto.

_Baka! People will see us!_

"That's how." He hissed, then with a force of will, hid the two sprites from sight once more, cloaking their presence, as if they had never been there.

No sooner had he done this, then Fagahi poked his head into the kitchen. "Closing time kiddo!"

His eyes locked with Chidori. "Naruto's leaving now, but I'll be here to help you close up."

The redhead nodded silently, then went about putting the knives away and such.

He left, then reappeared a second later. "Oh, Naruto, I almost forgot. Nami-chan's here."

Naruto gulped nervously as he hung up his apron. "Thanks."

_'Urgh, what am I gonna do..._

--

Kimiko's a.k.a Nami's eyes went wide as she saw Naruto emerge from the kitchen, both with shock, then HORROR as she imagined how mad he must be with her.

THEN she glared at Fagashi, the silent message perfectly clear.

_'You said he didn't work tonight!'_

The smug look he sent back, made his unspoken message also clear, as the elderly man stuck out his tongue.

_'I lied.'_

She felt her breath hitch in her throat as he slipped on his jacket not even looking at her-

Then, after exchanging a few hushed words with Fagashi, began to head towards the door-

Tears glistened in her eyes, as she mistook that he was leaving. _'No! I can't let it go on like this!' _

Emotionally stricken as she was, she did the first thing that came to mind, despite the fact that it certainly wasn't the smartest.

With a small sob, tears already running down her face, she lunged forward, arms encircling his waist grabbing him in a hug, holding him still.

She just stood there for a moment, as he went stiff, tears soaking into the back of his leather coat, then in a raspy, sob choked voice, she cried aloud:

"I'M SORRY! SORRY SORRY SORRY!"


	16. Forgiveness

He was frozen, he couldn't move.

Her words reverberated in his head. _'Sorry..._

Everyone was frozen, time had stopped.

His voice was oddly cold, sending a shiver through her body, his words a whisper.

"You're...sorry?"

She nodded into his shirt, her voice a choked whisper, refusing to let him go, should he try to break free.

"I never meant to-

The sobs took her again, and she lost her voice, drowning in self pity, burying her face in his jacket.

_'He must hate me..._

Slowly, ever so slowly, the look of shock set upon his face changed-

To a smile.

She froze, as he suddenly twisted round in her grasp, now holding _her _instead of the other way around, one hand on the small of her back, whilst the other was resting up

Her mouth moved, yet no words came out, her face lit with a light red blush.

Looking up, her eyes met his, and she saw the wry grin etched up on his face.

"Took you long enough."

His words, warm and kind, brought more tears to her eyes.

"B-But I-

He shook his head as the water flowed freely from her eyes, running down in thick streams of moisture on her face.

"Need a lift home?"

She gave a small hiccup, her sadness beginning to fade. "You drive?"

He rolled his eyes as he continued out the dorr. "Duh. Do you really think I'd WALK here?"

She managed a shaky smile, along with a small nod.

"S-Sure."

--

Kimiko held onto Naruto for dear life, her arms encircled tightly about his waist, as the motorcycle darted through traffic, its rider effortlessly guiding it this way and that, avoiding countless other vehicles, all seconds from crashing into him.

The entire time he was grinning, his face hidden by a dark helmet, the near opaque visor unable to heed the vision his new pale lavender eyes, given him by Hinata, a final act of kindness, afforded him excellent vision.

He had to admit, Byakugan vision ROCKED!

A small chuckle escaped him as she let out a shriek and held on tighter.

"Scared?"

He didn't look back as he said this, and thanks to his helmet, she couldn't tell whether he was smiling or not.

That, and she was too busy shouting at him to "LOOK OUT FOR THAT CAR!"

--

(Later)

With a small hum from the engine, Naruto pulled up at Kimiko's house, cutting the engine, and pulling off his helmet, in a smooth simultaneous motion.

With a quick swipe of his leg, he swung up the kickstand, allowing the bike to smoothly rest in postion.

"This the place?"

She nodded shakily as she released her hold on him, unsteadily disembarking from the motorcyle.

"Thanks."

He nodded, then donning the helmet once more began to rev the engine-

"Wait!"

He stopped as she called out to him, popping up the opaque visor to give her a curious stare, his pale eyes boring into the false red of her contacts.

"What?"

She nervously shied away under his piercing glare.

"You know halloween's coming up, right?"

He didn't get it, and the tone within his voice said that much. "And your point is?"

She was suddenly VERY interested in her shoes, refusing to meet his eyes now. "Well, there's this costume day, where everyone dresses up-

"And you want to know if I'll do that?"

Immediately, she berated herself for not getting to the heart of the matter.

_'BAKA! JUST ASK HIM already!'_

An small sigh escaped his lips. "Yeah, I am gonna wear a costume, but-

Finally gathering up her courage, Kimiko asked him the REAL question, hesitantly meeting his eyes as she did so.

"Naruto, I was wondering, maybe I could join your band?"

He shrugged, gunning the engine again.

"Sure."

Then, pulling a wheelie, he kicked the throttle, and roared into the night.


	17. Neechan!

**To clear things up, Naruto's sister, Sora, is his _twin_. Their 'relationship' will be explained later. And sorry if this chapter is short. The next ones will be longer.**

With the screeching of tires, and the pungent odor of burning rubber, the motorcycle skidded to a halt outside the dorm, leaving a long skid mark in its wake.

Naruto flipped up the kickstand and sighed, feeling ill at ease-

Even more so when he saw the _other _motorcycle parked across the street.

He swallowed nervously.

It was a deep ruby red, as opposed to his jet black chrome bike.

He knew onlt one other person drove a motorcycle besides him, and only _one_ person had that kind of paint job on their ride.

Removing the helmet from his head, he let out a groan.

"Aw, shit."

--

Slowly, he opened the door-

He paled, as he saw a very familair face, sitting down at the table, and currently arm wrestling with Akhiko. Upon noticing him however, she easily slammed the boxer's arm down on the table, for what had to be the fifteenth time.

Whilst the stunned senior wallowed in defeat, she got up from the table, and wafted across the room towards her brother, her long pigtails bouncing with every step, as did her chest.

"Aha! Tsunade-chan was right!"

She was clad in her usual attire, which was not much, needless to say.

It was then Naruto truly took in the appearance of the young blonde goddess before him.

She was wearing smooth black leather tank top which hugged her upper torso tightly, but was also short enough to show her lean and bare midriff. The lower half of her voluptuous body was encased in tight black jeans that seemed to be _painted_ upon her. The clothes revealed all of her sultry curves giving her a look of sensuous beauty, as they contrasted with her flawless alabaster skin.

Naruto couldn't help but blush at the amount of cleavage she was showing by moving so close to him.

Upon reaching him, she clasped both hands down upon his shoulders looked deep into his diamond blue eyes...

Akhiko spit out his drink as she planted a _firm_ kiss upon his lips, pressing both herself and her body flush against him.

Her voice was soft when she broke the kiss.

"I missed you."

Tenderly, she placed her lips across his again...

The moment was broken when she proceeded to shake him like a rag doll upon breaking the lip to lip contact for the second time.

"Nii-san! Why the _hell_ did you just up and leave like that without telling me?!"

"Knock it off sis!" He yelped in surprise. "You're making me friggin' dizzy!"

An exclamation point appeared over Akhiko's head.

It was at this exact moment that Mitsuro and Yukari came down the stairs, the commotion having disturbed their studies.

"And who might _you_ be?" Yukari was the first to ask.

Sora abruptly stopped what she was doing, and instead twirled about to see who was speaking, leaving one arm around her brother's shoulders as she did so, her hip brushing sensually against his own.

Much like Naruto, she too expressed an almost _immediate_ distaste for Ms. Takeba.

This did not go unnoticed by all who were present.

"I could ask you the same thing, missy."

Akhiko shook his head as he watched multiple tick mark appear on said girl's forehead.

"Watch it you-

"She said she's Naruto's sister." Interjected Akhiko, before a fight could ensue.

"His _twin_ sister, thank you very much!" Chirped Sora in an overly enthusiastic manner, which made everyone sweatdrop.

Mitsuro wore a trace of a smile however.

"Well, you do share some resemblance, but what brings you here, Sora-san-

"I'm going to Gekkoukan High." Stated the kunoichi simply, snapping her fingers.

The sound of shattering glass was heard.

And a tiny yellow fairy appeared on her shoulder, similair to Hua-Po, except her skin was a bright yellow, and her wings were black. "The same goes for Tomoe."

Everyone seemed to have the same thought.

_'She didn't use an evoker..._

"So am I in? Both kunoichi and fairy asked as one, using the same voice and everything, minus a higher pitch for Tomoe.

Everyone blanched except Akhiko, who as always, remained calm cool and collected.

"Well that makes another new resident." He commented in an offhanded manner.

"Huh?" Asked Yukari, arching a delicate eyebrow.

The doorbell rang now, and the 4th year student rose up out of his seet.

"That should be him now."

Yukari groaned as she saw who their 'guest' was, as well as all the luggage he carried with him.

"Junpei?! He's staying here now too?! You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

Akhiko proceeded to explain the fact that Junpei was entirely capable of using a persona as well...

But _Mr. Iori_ was too busy staring at Sora to realize Akhiko was talking about him.

Naruto gave his friend a glare, mostly because he did not like anyone staring at Sora, and Sora glared at Junpei because her first opinion of him was that he was a pervert, judging by how he kept staring at her ass.

Throughout this all, Mitsuru shook her head and kept everyone from killing each other, as usual.

Indeed this year would be _very_ interesting....


End file.
